Cost of Revenge: Redemption
by Captain Anon
Summary: In the wake of the Siege of Washington D.C., secrets and surprising truths were revealed that have changed everything. Now, with a new sense of purpose, Tommy is determined to take down Lord Zedd, but will he succeed, and at what cost? Dark AU, MMPR. Part III of III of the Cost of Revenge Series.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:** And finally, here is part III - the last and final part of the _Cost of Revenge _series! Please read and review - all feedback is greatly appreciated. And a big thanks to my beta, Bellarose20, for helping me with this monster of a story._

 _WARNING: If you have not already read the first two parts of the_ Cost of Revenge _series, you are going to be extremely confused by what's going on here. I highly recommend reading_ Cost of Revenge: Control _and_ Cost of Revenge: Lost _before reading this. And as a treat, take a peak at_ Cost of Revenge: Moments in Between _\- you don't need to read that one to understand what's going on, but I think the outtakes there help enrich the main story._

 _And just a word of caution, don't let the title fool you. Redemption may be in the title, but it might not be for the reason you're expecting... Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Throne Room Balcony**

 **The Moon**

 **Local Time, Unknown**

"...and her many contributions to the Dark Empire shall never be forgotten. We must continue forward in her honor to ensure that those who wish to stop us – who wish to make her sacrifice be one made in vain – do _not_ succeed in their mission. Scorpina gave her life for this empire, and we owe it to her to see our mission through to the end."

Tommy could vaguely make out the murmurs of agreement from the surrounding officers at the Emperor's words. The teen stood in his green ranger suit with miniature oxygen tanks secured along his shoulder blades, gas pumping into his helmet via thin plastic tubes. Finster had created a special helmet for him so that he could breathe safely outside the palace walls for the sad occasion.

It had been four days since the Siege of Washington D.C. under his command, and with the brief respite, a funeral was being held for his fallen friend. Tommy, Goldar, and the other commanders stood next to Lord Zedd as he spoke about Scorpina from their perch on the balcony of the Lunar Palace. Below them were thousands of soldiers of various ages and species who had served alongside her.

The last few days had been absolute hell for the green ranger. His slow-burning rage for the Emperor had only seemed to intensify since their meeting in the Oval Office. Tommy wanted nothing more than to take his Dragon dagger and shove it into Lord Zedd's stomach, cutting him open as slowly and painfully as possible. It frustrated the teen to no end to constantly be in close proximity to the Emperor but never able to make a move. There were far too many people loyal to Lord Zedd around them who could immediately take him out if Tommy gave even the slightest indication he meant harm to their leader.

And so, with no way of exacting his revenge, the green ranger was forced to stew silently while in the presence of the man he now hated with every fiber of his being.

To make matters worse, he had been asked to help with the preparation for Scorpina's funeral by retrieving her body from the battlefield. The green ranger had nearly thrown up when he spotted her on the ground, wide-eyed and unnaturally pale as she stared up at the sky with dead eyes. He was immediately taken back to that fateful night when she lost her life. He could hear the sound of the blast that ripped open her chest, see her blood and tissue smeared on his suit and helmet…

Tommy shook his head to clear it of the memory. He tensed when he heard a scoff to his left. Tom was beside him, moving around the teen like an animal stalking its prey.

" **You've got a lot of fucking nerve even showing your face at her funeral."**

The teen ignored the older version of himself, choosing instead to focus on the resting form of Scorpina within the marble coffin only a few feet away. She was dressed in her uniform, her sword resting on top of her body with her hands around the hilt. She looked so still and peaceful, as if she were simply sleeping.

At the head of her coffin stood Goldar in a black and gold tunic with his wings folded behind him. It was strange seeing him without his armor on – he looked smaller, vulnerable. The Tarmakian stared down at his deceased wife with an unreadable expression, his normally vibrant eyes now dull and lifeless.

Upon hearing the news of her death, Goldar had been absolutely certain that a mistake was made and that Scorpina wasn't really dead. The warrior had demanded to see her, needing physical proof that the horrible rumors were true. The green ranger remembered how Goldar went deathly silent at the sight of her corpse. He didn't cry or breakdown when he saw her. Instead, he very calmly asked to be left alone with her and not to be disturbed.

Today was the first time Tommy had seen him in three days.

" **He'd skewer you alive if he knew you were the reason she's dead."**

Tommy balled up his fists tightly at his sides. Scorpina's blood was on the black ranger's hands, not his. Zack dealt the blow that killed her.

It wasn't his fault.

Tom stood in front of him with a hateful expression. **"Oh** _ **right**_ **, it's Zack's fault… which makes it even more questionable that you tried to** _ **save his life**_ **after he murdered her in cold blood right in front of your goddamn face!"**

The teen opened his mouth several times to make a rebuttal but failed to come up with anything. As much as he hated what Tom was saying to him, the man made a fair point – and that's what bothered him most.

" **You claim that she was your friend – your** _ **only**_ **real friend here – and you chose to help the person who** _ **killed**_ **her? Scorpina trained you, protected you, kept your secrets – and this is how you decided to repay her?"** Tom looked at him in disgust. **"That's not friendship, Tommy. That's dishonorable. That's betrayal."** He paused to eye the green ranger. **"You chose the enemy over your so-called friend. What the fuck is** _ **wrong**_ **with you?"**

The green ranger's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

" **And you know what the worst part is?"** Tom asked coldly. **"You don't regret it at all."**

Tommy looked away, eyes now fixed on a spot on his right boot to avoid the older man's gaze.

It was true.

Tommy knew for how much he hated Zack for what he did to Scorpina, if presented with the opportunity to kill the black ranger again, he wouldn't take it. He cared for Scorpina, but he didn't want Zack to die.

Even now, standing only a few feet away from Scorpina's lifeless body, a part of him was thinking about the black ranger and his condition after that brutal battle.

What did it say about him if he was worried about his friend's killer at her funeral?

" **It means you're a piece of shit,"** Tom snarled.

The green ranger closed his eyes, heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Tom's stinging comments admittedly hurt, but there was little that could be said or done to make him feel worse than he already did. Kimberly had already ripped him a new one when he visited her yesterday – anything else was just salt on the wound at this point.

 _Tommy stood tall outside of Kimberly's cabin in his commander's uniform, hands tucked into the pockets of his red jacket. His slacks and shirt had felt restrictive and itchy against his skin all throughout the war council he just left. It distracted him the entire meeting, and now that he was standing in front of Kimberly, he wanted to peel off his uniform and burn it._

 _The collar of the jacket scraped along his jaw, irritating the five o'clock shadow growing there. His normally blow-dried hair was left in its natural curls today, forming somewhat of an untamed pompadour on top of his head. The sides of his head were still shaved down, though they were filling in slightly with new growth._

 _He had left the Lunar Palace thinking he looked a complete mess, but as he stared intently at the weary pink ranger before him, he couldn't care less how he looked at the moment._

 _Kimberly fidgeted under his gaze. "What?"_

 _The green ranger shrugged. "Didn't expect you to open the door."_

" _The only reason I even entertained the idea of talking to you is because Zack is still alive," she said coldly._

" _Wait what?" Tommy's eyes widened in surprise. "I-It worked?"_

" _Whatever you did kept him alive long enough to get the help he needed." She glared at him. "But need I remind you_ , you're _the reason he almost died in the first place."_

 _His fingers twitched nervously in his pockets. "Is he okay?" he asked softly._

" _You don't get to ask how he's doing after nearly killing him, Tommy," Kimberly hissed. "Don't ask about him. Don't say his name. Don't even think about him."_

 _Tommy nodded, eyeing her warily. Her posture was rigid, as if she were physically restraining herself._

" _I expected an angrier reaction from you the next time we met," he said after a tense silence. Truthfully, he was waiting for her to attack him. "You're usually more upset when I piss you off."_

 _She let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh, Tommy, I'm sorry. Let me see if I can be a bit more upset with you," she said sarcastically. Kim closed her eyes tight in mock concentration and turned her back to him, fingers pressed against her temples._

 _He sighed. "Kimberly…"_

 _She whipped around to face him again, eyes blazing. "No, I_ can't _, because I'm numb, Tommy. You've made me_ numb _."_

 _He winced at her scathing tone._

" _You keep hurting the people that I care about," she whispered as she wiped at her eyes. "And now I don't feel_ anything _anymore."_

 _Tommy's chest tightened at the sorrow in her eyes. "Kim – ." He reached over to pull her to him._

" _No!" she yelled, shoving him back. He stumbled back a few feet, nearly falling over. "You don't get to comfort me._ You do NOT get to comfort me after everything you've done! _"_

 _She wiped at her eyes. "Did you enjoy using me to get back at Jason?" Her bottom lip trembled. "He screwed you over, so you decided to return the favor? Fuck his girlfriend, kill his best friend… all part of your master plan, right?" She sniffled. "God, you were playing me the whole time, and like an idiot, I let you, you son of a bitch," Kim said viciously. "But why am I even surprised? You'd do anything to get back at him, right?"_

 _The green ranger shook his head. "Kimberly, I – "_

 _He grunted when her hand connected with his cheek for a hard slap. He grimaced at the taste of copper in his mouth – the hit made him bite his tongue._

" _DON'T_ LIE _TO ME!" she shouted._

His jaw throbbed from the memory of her slap. She had hit him so hard that he had literally seen stars for several seconds afterwards.

Tommy sighed internally. He should've known better than to try and see her so soon after the battle. The wounds were too raw to expect anything but hurt and anger from her.

Still, he was happy to know that Zack was alive. He was sincere in that he didn't want the black ranger to die, and he knew if Zack had been killed, there would be no way of salvaging his relationship with Kimberly.

" **You're seriously thinking about her?** _ **Now?**_ **"** Tom asked angrily. **"You're at Scorpina's funeral, boy. Show some fucking respect and be** _ **present**_ **. You owe her that much."**

Tommy nodded, forcing thoughts of Kim and Zack to the background. Tom was right – now was not the time to let his mind wander.

"…and while we speak often of her calculated and often brutal tactics in battle, Scorpina should also be remembered for how she was out of the armor." Finster pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "As formidable as she was on the battlefield, she was equally as admirable off of it. Scorpina came from humble beginnings, and that showed in the way she dealt with those around her. She showed us that it was not only important to demand respect from others but to give it in return, regardless of rank." The Clayoidian paused when his voice began to tremble. "Scorpina was the embodiment of courage, duty, and loyalty – a model for all of us to follow. And it is our responsibility to make sure her legacy is preserved."

The green ranger licked his lips at Finster's words. Courage. Duty. Loyalty.

" **Things you know nothing about,"** Tom hissed. The green ranger flinched at the snide comment.

Unfortunately, Tom wasn't the only one who believed that.

" _Is the concept of personal responsibility so foreign to you that you can't even see that this is your fault?" Kim's face was flushed with anger. "You nearly killed one of my best friends, Tommy! Someone I've known since I was five years old – and you're too much of a coward to even accept what you did!"_

 _He shook his head feebly. "You know it's not like that, Kim. This isn't on me – it's on Jason. You know what he did – you heard him confess to it yourself." He approached her cautiously. "Jason ruined my life – "_

"Oh my god! _" The pink ranger cut him off with an aggravated sigh. "I'm so_ sick _of hearing that from you," she snarled. " 'Jason's the bad guy. He made me this way.' I'm so sick of it, Tommy –_ get over it! _"_

" _Get over it?" Tommy's jaw started to ache from how tightly he clenched it. "You know, I'm curious… were you like this with him, too, or am I getting special treatment?" he spat bitterly._

" _Special treat– what is_ wrong _with you?!" she asked incredulously, eyebrows high on her forehead. Kim gestured down at her body. "I'm_ pregnant _, Tommy – do you understand that? I'm having a baby,_ your _baby. I don't give a shit about this stupid fight you're having with Jason over who did what first. It's not a fucking competition. God, I just…" she paused, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I just wish you would grow up."_

 _His eyes widened. "Excuse me?"_

 _The pink ranger ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry that Jason did that to you – I really am, okay? It's inexcusable, and I can understand how it influenced some of the decisions you've made. But Jason didn't make you who you are; Zedd didn't either –_ you _did. You decided that you wanted to keep up this little quest for revenge against him once Zedd took over. You're the one that's leading armies and murdering people. You're the one that failed to protect your mother because you were too busy playing sidekick to your psycho boss in another galaxy." Tommy flinched at the mention of his mother. "Jason had nothing to do with that, and you need to learn to own the choices you've made."_

 _Kimberly's eyes shined with unshed tears as she looked at him._

" _God, it's always one step forward, three steps back with you," she said softly. "There are so many times –_ so many times _when I think you get it, that you_ really _get it and that you're going to stop all of this bullshit." Her eyes grew sad. "But then you go right back to this stupid game you're playing with Jason and Zedd and I just…I don't know what to think anymore."_

 _The green ranger stared at the ground, hands shoved into his front pockets._

" _I just…" Kim sighed. "I'm done, Tommy."_

 _His chest grew tight with fear. "Don't say that."_

" _I was so_ stupid _to think you could do better." She ran her fingers through her hair. "You've shown me over and over again that you're never going to change, and I just couldn't accept it."_

 _The green ranger moved swiftly to stand before her, encroaching on her personal space. "I know I've given you countless reasons to doubt me, to never trust a single word I say, but I am_ asking _you not to give up on me, Kim._ Please _," he begged. "I fucked up badly – I'm admitting that. Give me a chance to make things right."_

" _You can't fix this, Tommy," she said softly._

" _I can," he said, eyes flashing green. "And I will."_

 _The pink ranger stared at him, conflicting emotions in her eyes. "I want_ so _badly to believe you," she whispered after a long pause. Her cheeks were wet from her tears. "But I can't. You've lied to me and betrayed my trust too many times – I'm done being a fool. I'm not letting you hurt me again." She turned away from him and headed back towards the cabin._

" _Kimberly... Kimberly, please!" he yelled, desperation creeping in with each step she took away from him. "I'm going to take Lord Zedd down!"_

 _She froze, her grip tight on the doorknob. "What?" she asked, facing him again._

 _Relief hit him when he saw that she was at least listening to him. "I'm taking him down, Kim. For good." The green ranger licked his lips. "I'm going to make sure that son of a bitch gets everything he dese– "_

" _Stop."_

 _She said it so softly that Tommy thought he had imagined it at first. "W-What?"_

" _Stop telling me what you think I want to hear. Stop trying to manipulate me._ Stop lying to me. _Just stop._ _"_

 _Tommy watched helplessly as she opened the door and made her way inside. The last thing he saw before the door slammed shut was brown eyes filled with anger and hurt looking back at him._

" _Leave, Tommy, and don't come back."_

The green ranger blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. He had been so sure that telling her about his plan to take down Lord Zedd would mean something to her. It was all she wanted from him since the very beginning – to take a stand and stop working for the Emperor.

" **You've lied to her and hurt her too many times,"** T said, appearing at his side. **"Why should she believe you now?"**

' _Because I'm telling the truth,'_ he thought sadly.

" **And look where that got you,"** Tom sneered. **"You've put yourself out there for her again and again. You offered to turn your back on the Emperor for her, the man who has shown you nothing but loyalty. That wasn't good enough for her –** _ **you**_ **weren't good enough for her."** Tom stood before the green ranger. **"Let her go and get your head back in the game before you make a mistake you won't live to regret."**

Tommy looked away from the older man's stern glare. On some level, he knew Tom was right, but letting Kimberly go was easier said than done. After everything they'd been through together, it wasn't that simple to just throw everything to the side.

" **Why not? She didn't have any issues doing it,"** Tom reminded him, much to Tommy's annoyance.

"…who will return her body to her home planet for a proper burial. As a final sendoff, please lift your swords high above you in salute."

The green ranger snapped to attention at Lord Zedd's words. He unsheathed his Falchion sword and raised it towards the stars.

"To Scorpina!" Lord Zedd yelled with his Z staff in the air.

"TO SCORPINA!"

The Emperor's Z staff glowed bright red for several seconds before sending out five bursts of energy above them. When the fifth blast dissipated, everyone brought their swords back down, sheathed them, and bowed their heads in respect.

Tommy lifted his head, a solemn expression on his face as he watched the crowd below them begin to disperse now that the funeral was over. Four Chromites shuffled past him and picked up Scorpina's coffin.

As they carried her back into the palace on their shoulders, it hit the teen suddenly that he would never be able to see his friend again. Intellectually, he knew she'd been dead for the last few days, but seeing her coffin be taken away… there was a finality to her death that wasn't there before.

It made his chest feel uncomfortably tight.

"Goodbye, Scorpy," he whispered.

"Sir." Tommy jumped slightly at the appearance of Kronon behind him. "The Emperor would like to have a word with you."

The green ranger nodded. He headed over to Lord Zedd who was engrossed in conversation with Goldar.

"…take as much time as needed," he heard Lord Zedd say as he approached.

"You requested my presence, sir?" the teen asked tightly. Tommy was grateful that his helmet was on so that the Emperor couldn't see the look of hatred he knew was on his face.

"You will need to take over some of Goldar's duties while he is away. His trip to return Scorpina to her home planet will take a few days, and in that time, you and Commander Rygog will share responsibility over his duties. When things have settled down here, Goldar will brief both of you on what you need to know. One of the guards will come for you when he's ready to meet."

The green ranger gave a curt nod before turning to head into the palace.

"Hold on, Tommy." The teen froze in his tracks when he heard Goldar address him by name, something that rarely ever happened.

"They tell me that you were there when…when Scorpina…" His nostrils flared as he struggled to say the words. "Who did this to her?"

Tommy hesitated, uneasy about answering Goldar's question.

"Now is not the time to hold your tongue," the Tarmakian snarled.

"I-It was the black ranger," the teen said finally. His stomach twisted at the confession, and he couldn't help but feel like he made a mistake in telling the truth.

Goldar growled low in his throat and faced Lord Zedd. "Master… a request?"

"Yes?"

"I want to go after them. The rangers, Zordon, all of them for what they did to Scorpina," he said forcefully. "Finster said the direction of the blast indicates that she was killed from behind – there's no honor in that. She deserved better than to be killed from behind by a coward." Goldar dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Please allow me the chance to kill the bastard who took my wife from me."

"Goldar, I already went after the black ranger. He's dead," Tommy said firmly. "It's already been handled."

As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled. The person who killed Scorpina was taken care of – there was nothing more to be done.

"No, it hasn't," the winged warrior hissed, eyes flashing bright red. "Master, I wish to initiate a hunt. For the black ranger's family, his friends – anyone close to him. He _must_ pay for what he's done... for what he and the other rangers have taken from me."

"I told you it's been handled," Tommy growled.

"And I say they haven't paid nearly enough."

"You know this will escalate things, Goldar. Why are you pushing this?" the green ranger asked angrily.

" _Because she was my wife!_ " Goldar nearly yelled, stunning the teen into silence. He had never heard the warrior sound so emotional before. "Scorpina was my wife, and I need to make them pay for what they did to her. I don't expect you to understand, but I _do_ expect you to get the hell out of my way."

"Both of you be quiet," the Emperor snapped. Lord Zedd stared down at the Tarmakian for a long time. "Rise, Goldar."

When Goldar stood up, the Emperor placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "You may have your revenge," he said to Tommy's horror. "What they've done cannot go unpunished, and now that we have the Earth under our control, a more offensive approach is required for Zordon and his rangers. When you return, take a team of whatever size you need and exterminate them. They must learn there are consequences for their actions."

The green ranger blinked rapidly. _'No… no, no, no…'_

Goldar nodded. "Thank you, my lord."

"You're both dismissed," the Emperor said before he turned his back to them.

Tommy turned and left for his quarters. He walked the halls of the Lunar Palace in a daze, helmet tucked under his arm.

' _This is bad. This is really fucking bad.'_

The green ranger entered his room and slumped against the closed door. He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the impending headache. Scorpina's death. Goldar's manhunt. Kim's cold shoulder. All of it was weighing heavily on his mind and making it hard to think.

He looked across the room and saw the bottle of _Daem_ sitting on the dresser. It was given to him as a present from the Emperor for successfully conquering Washington D.C. It was so tempting to take a swig of it to calm his nerves.

"No. You just… you just cause problems," he hissed at the bottle. "I have more than enough already without you adding to it."

Tommy pressed his fingers against his temples. Attacking the Command Center meant finding the rangers. Finding the rangers could inadvertently lead Goldar to Kimberly. If he found where Kim was hiding, he'd easily put two and two together once he saw she was pregnant. It wouldn't take long to realize she was carrying Tommy's child, and then it would only be a matter of time before Lord Zedd knew.

Or worse – in his rage, Goldar would kill her and the baby.

Both options were unacceptable to Tommy.

" **She wants nothing to do with you, Tommy. Let her rot,"** Tom said.

"No," the green ranger snapped. "Kim and I have fought before. She gets angry, but she gets past it."

" **What are you planning to do then?"** Tom asked.

"Maybe…maybe I could hide her somewhere. Somewhere far away where they couldn't find her."

" **How?"** T asked.

"I don't know yet," the green ranger said sounding lost. "I might be able to get her a pod or something. Get her off the planet."

" **Where would she go?"** Tom pressed. **"She's going to give birth soon. Where would she deliver the baby? Where would they live? How can they – ?"**

" _I said I don't know!_ " Tommy yelled angrily. "I can figure all that out later, all right? Right now, I need to let her know what's going on."

He powered down, now standing in a black t-shirt and dark denim jeans. Tommy grabbed his bomber jacket and shrugged it on.

The last thing he saw before teleporting from his room was Tom's disapproving stare and T's encouraging smile.

* * *

 **Stone Canyon Mountain Lodge**

 **East Side, Cabin #24**

 **Stone Canyon, CA**

 **3:29 PM**

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

"Kimberly? Kimberly, open the damn door!"

" **You're wasting your time,"** Tom said lazily from his perch next to the door. **"She made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with you."**

Tommy pressed his ear against the wooden door, listening intently for any sign of movement. He could make out faint shuffling inside the cabin.

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

"Kim, stop playing around," he growled. "I know you're mad at me, but I need to talk to you!"

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

"Please open the door!"His eyes flashed green when he got no response. "All right, fine. You have until the count of three."

" **Yes, an ultimatum. That'll surely win her over,"** T snarked from his seat on the railing.

"One!" Silence. "Two!" Tommy stepped back several feet. "Three!"

He charged full speed at the door, a move that proved unnecessary when it opened to reveal a stone-faced Andros. Tommy nearly tripped over his own feet in his attempt to stop himself from colliding with the younger teen. The red ranger grabbed Tommy by his jacket and threw him to the ground, using his momentum against him. The green ranger groaned when his head connected hard with the floor.

"Why are you here, green ranger?" Andros hissed.

"Me? The fuck are _you_ doing here?"

"Collecting some last-minute things." He dropped the duffel bag in his hand and glared down at his enemy. "Answer my question."

Tommy climbed to his feet, gingerly rubbing his head. "Where's Kim? I need to speak with her."

"She's not here."

"When will she be back?"

"She won't."

"The hell does that m – " Tommy paused, eyes narrowing. He scanned the cabin, suddenly realizing that it was actually quite bare. He went to her bedroom and peered in, troubled to see that her things were gone.

Tommy turned dark eyes on Andros. "Where is she?" he growled.

"That's none of your concern," Andros said sharply.

Tommy grabbed the space ranger by his shirt and hauled him up, slamming him into the wall hard enough to cause a nearby hanging picture to fall. He summoned his Dragon dagger and pressed it against the younger teen's throat.

" **Tommy, let him go,"** T said tugging on his arm.

"Tell. Me. _Now_."

Andros simply stared at him, clearly unintimidated by the green ranger's display of strength. Seeing that the boy wasn't going to budge, Tommy released him with a snarl.

"Dammit, Andros! This is important. I need to tell her – "

"Don't you think you've told her enough?" The green ranger paused at Andros' icy tone. "You've caused Kimberly more pain and suffering than any person should know. Just leave her alone, Tommy."

"You don't know _anything_ about what goes on between us, all right?"

"I know she deserves better than how you've been treating her."

Tommy clenched his fists to keep from clocking Andros in the face. Were all red rangers this fucking annoying? "I don't have time for this. _Where is she?_ "

Andros softened at the urgency in the green ranger's tone. "Kimberly is making preparations for her trip." He eyed the green ranger carefully. "She's leaving Earth."

Tommy's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "What?"

"She came to the Command Center last night in tears asking if there was some place she could go to get away from everything going on here. I don't know what exactly happened yesterday, but whatever it was got to her." He glared at the taller teen. "And I have a feeling you know all about it."

The green ranger averted his gaze. "What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

"Because she's leaving to get away from _you_."

Tom stood behind the red ranger shaking his head with a smug expression. **"Told you."**

The green ranger felt as if he'd been gutted. "She said that?" he asked quietly.

"Not in so many words, but…" Andros tapped the side of his head. "Telepath, remember? Kim projects her thoughts so loudly. It's difficult to ignore."

Tommy shuffled over to the nearby couch and sank down slowly. He cradled one of the couch pillows in his lap, fingers picking at the frayed ends. The idea that Kim would leave the planet just to get away from him created a pain in his chest that was almost unbearable. Tears stung at his eyes and his lower lip quivered slightly.

He could feel Andros staring at him. "What?"

"You surprise me." Tommy looked up at the space ranger. "I wasn't quite sure how'd you react to the news that she was gone after learning how you used her to get back at Jason. I certainly didn't expect you to be so..." He frowned.

"So what?" Tommy asked defensively.

"Hurt."

Tommy opened his mouth to tell Andros to go fuck himself but changed his mind at the last minute. It wasn't like the red ranger was wrong – as much as he hated to admit it, he _was_ hurt.

"Whatever," he mumbled as he discreetly wiped at his eyes.

The red ranger took a seat on the coffee table so that he was facing Tommy. "I can't tell you where she's going, Tommy. Not while you pose a threat to her and our cause."

The green ranger hugged the pillow tighter. "When does she leave?"

"A week from tomorrow."

Tommy straightened up immediately, sadness now replaced with fear. "That's not soon enough. She needs to leave _now_."

He sighed wearily at Andros' confused expression. He knew what the space ranger was thinking – the Command Center was the safest place for her right now. If he wasn't able to speak with Kim directly, he would have to tell Andros about Goldar's plan in order to protect her, and if Andros was half the ranger Tommy figured him to be, he'd definitely act on that information and have the Command Center evacuated.

" **And you don't think that Goldar will eventually figure out they'd been tipped off?"** Tom asked sarcastically. " **The Emperor will kill you and then kill her anyway. What does that achieve?"**

" **The rangers relocating doesn't automatically mean they got help, dude. They could have done it for any number of reasons,"** T argued. **"The obvious being that having your base of operations be the only building for miles in the desert is a pretty** _ **stupid**_ **idea…"**

Tom rolled his eyes. **"Keep your mouth** _ **shut**_ **, Tommy,"** he hissed. **"This can only end badly."**

T shook his head **. "Kim and the baby need you. You can't let them down, man. Not on this."**

The green ranger ran his hands over his face in frustration. He wanted to protect Kimberly, but the reality was that he couldn't, not really. His half-cocked plan to ship her away would've collapsed the moment he tried to steal an escape pod. And even if he somehow managed to get her off the planet to God only knows where, sending her away would only be a temporary solution. She and the baby would never truly be safe until Goldar was gone – until Lord Zedd was gone.

" **You can't defeat him."** Tom crossed his arms over his chest. **"You're not even in his league, boy."**

" **He's right. You don't stand a chance against Zedd,"** T said. **"At least…not on your own."**

Tommy watched the younger version of himself gesture wildly in Andros' direction. The green ranger's eyes widened as he recalled the space ranger's offer from long ago.

' _If you decide to do the smart things and save yourself, I'm more than willing to help you.'_

"What?" Andros asked in confusion when he noticed Tommy's intense gaze.

The green ranger blinked when he realized he'd been caught staring. "Sorry, I just…" He glanced briefly at a seething Tom.

" **Don't do it."**

"I need your help." He ignored the loud curse Tom let out.

The space ranger sighed. "I already told you I'm not telling you where Kimberly is."

"That's not what I need your help with."

Andros raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Back on KO-35, you offered to help me with something before you left." Tommy clasped his hands together in front of him and locked eyes with the stripe-haired teen. "I'm hoping that offer still stands."

He could see the confusion eventually give way to recognition on the younger teen's face. "You don't _seriously_ expect me to believe you want to take down Zedd, do you? You made it very clear that was never going to happen."

"I have the right to change my mind," Tommy snapped.

"Not after everything you've done. When I offered my help before, I had no idea of what you were capable of – what you'd already done. Zack almost _died_ because of you." Andros stood up, pacing the floor. "And how convenient you bring this up when you want to know Kimberly's whereabouts."

Tommy stood as well. "I want to keep Kimberly and my son safe. That can only happen if Lord Zedd is dead; and as much as it pains me to says this, it's a hell of a lot easier if we work together."

The space ranger rest his hands on his hips. "I don't trust this," he said shaking his head. "And I can't read your mind to know if you're lying."

"I'm not," the green ranger insisted.

"Prove it."

" **Tell him!"** T said, bouncing up and down on the couch beside him excitedly.

" **Tommy…"** his older self growled.

The green ranger worried his bottom lip. "Goldar is planning to attack the Command Center to make the rangers pay for Scorpina's death."

Andros' eyes widened. "When?

"I-I'm not sure. He's returning Scorpina's body to her home planet first, but when he gets back, he _will_ attack."

"And you know this how?"

"I was there when he asked Lord Zedd for permission."

"But Zedd knows direct attacks on the enemy base are against the laws of – "

"Lord Zedd already gave him the greenlight to attack," the green ranger interrupted. "My guess is he's going to take a small army of soldiers and ransack the place." His voice became soft. "Andros, he's going to kill everyone."

Andros pressed his hands together and rest them against his mouth in deep thought. "How do I know this isn't a trick, hmm? Rile us up? Distract us so that you can take advantage of the situation and get to Kim? I'm not naïve enough to think you wouldn't play mind games to get what you want."

"You know what? You're right – you don't know if I'm lying," Tommy said honestly. "But are you willing to take that risk?" He could read the doubt on the red ranger's face. "Dammit, Andros, _that's_ why I came here in the first place! To warn Kim and get her the hell away from here before she got hurt. If you don't trust anything else, trust that."

After a long pause, Andros closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay," he whispered.

"Okay?" Tommy repeated dumbly. "Okay what?"

" _If_ you're telling the truth, then you've put yourself at great risk in order to save our lives. I can work with that." He looked away with a thoughtful expression. "But I won't know if you're telling the truth until this supposed attack happens."

Andros grabbed the duffel bag from the floor. "I'm heading back to take this to Kimberly."

"And then?"

The red ranger shrugged. "And then I'm burning this place to the ground so no one can know she was ever here." He adjusted the duffel bag so that it was hanging from his shoulder. "Don't be here when I return."

Tommy watched him leave in a flash of red light. He sank down onto the couch wearily once he was alone.

" **You're a fucking idiot,"** Tom growled. **"Mark my words, you'll regret this."** The older man disappeared.

" **He'll get over it,"** T said dismissively. **"You did the right thing, Tommy."**

"Yeah," the green ranger said softly, trying his best to ignore Tom's parting warning.

" **So… what do we do now?"**

Tommy gave a half-hearted smile. "Now we wait."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:** And after a long wait, here's chapter 2! Thanks again Bellarose20 for the editing help. _

_Please read and review! Feedback is greatly appreciated. :)_

* * *

 **Griffith Park**

 **Bronson Canyon**

 **Los Angeles, CA**

 **One week later, Thursday, 2:08 PM**

"Next."

A man in his mid-thirties approached the table with trepidation.

"Name and occupation."

Tommy sighed heavily from his seat a few yards behind, sweating in the mild heat beneath his green ranger suit. They were in a makeshift tent in a park in Los Angeles.

"Devin McRiley. I-I'm a teacher."

The Chromite soldier nodded. "Subject?"

The man began to tremble uncontrollably. "I-I-I…"

"Subject," the Chromite repeated roughly.

The man stuttered some more, hands clenched at his sides. Tommy could tell from his face that he was absolutely terrified.

"I will only ask you one more time," the Chromite snapped. "Speak or you will be thrown in with the other – !"

" _Enough_ ," the green ranger barked, causing a hush to fall over everyone. "He can't answer when he's so scared… might even piss his pants in this state."

The man turned to him with a startled expression, as if only just noticing Tommy's presence. "Oh _god_ … i-it's you!"

The teen rolled his eyes beneath his helmet, unsurprised by the man's response. After everything he'd done, the mere sight of the green ranger was enough to strike fear in even the bravest of Earth.

" **Your reputation really does precede you,"** T said thoughtfully from his seat at Tommy's feet. **"That's like the twelfth person today with that reaction."**

Tom scoffed. **"Then it's a good thing they don't know what an ungrateful little shit you've become,"** he sneered. **"A man who lacks loyalty is not a man you should fear."**

"What subject do you teach, Devin?" Tommy asked irritably.

The older man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "A-Advanced physics. I -t-teach the – "

Tommy turned to the Chromite solider. "He's valuable. Register him with the other educators." He faced the teacher again. "Leave."

The green ranger sat back in his seat as the man scurried off.

"Next."

A woman stepped forward, long red hair wild as it framed her face. Two small children with strawberry-blonde hair were hugging her tightly around her legs.

"Name and occupation."

Tommy resisted the urge to groan as he impatiently tapped his foot. He shouldn't be here. There were other, far more important things that needed his attention at the moment.

T nudged his leg. **"Don't worry, dude. I'm sure Kim got out in time."**

Registration under the new regime was underway in cities across the world. Soldiers were sent to set up registration camps, each one covering a fifty-mile radius. One team remained at the camp while twenty-five teams were sent to round up all civilians within their registration zone. Every one hundred camps were assigned to a general who would be onsite to supervise. The majority of California was currently under Tommy's supervision.

His rank normally would have saved him from having to take part in such a tedious task, but arrangements had to be made at the last minute. General Kronon was actually in charge of this region, but he and his section were pulled away temporarily to assist with an urgent assignment. Goldar had finally returned from his trip to Scorpina's home planet and requested an elite group of soldiers to assist in his mission to destroy the power rangers' base of operations.

That was three nights ago, and Tommy had heard no word on the operation since.

He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea rolled over him, his right hand clasped tightly around the armrest of his chair. Images of the Command Center engulfed in flames played vividly in his mind in an endless loop. He could smell burning flesh and hear petrified screams as the rangers were slaughtered in the middle of the night, picked off one-by-one in Goldar's futile attempt to ease his pain.

He was hit with the image of a frightened Kimberly screaming as Goldar stood over her, arms protectively covering her stomach to shield the baby. He could see the mad glint in Goldar's eyes as the winged beast brought his sword down on her for a fatal blow.

A loud crack pulled him from his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, startled to pieces of broken steel in his gloved hand. He dropped the now broken armrest in surprise.

" **For the love of God, get your shit** _ **together**_ **, boy,"** Tom snapped. **"You're damn near losing it worrying about that girl and your brat."**

"Commander?"

Tommy turned to see Kronon standing there, a tired expression on his face.

"Kronon," the green ranger said in surprise. He stood up quickly and clasped the general's arm. "What are you doing here?"

' _Why is he back so early? Did they already…?'_ He swallowed thickly, pushing down the bile rising in his throat.

"I'm here to relieve you, sir. The mission with Commander Goldar is over."

Tommy's chest tightened considerably. "So soon?"

Kronon frowned. "We attacked the Command Center as planned, but the place was empty." He shook his head. "No rangers. No Zordon. The place didn't even have power. It was completely abandoned."

T grinned. **"Holy shit… Andros really pulled it off…"**

"I see." Tommy looked away, afraid Kronon might be able to make out the smile on his face behind his visor. "I expect Goldar wasn't thrilled about this?"

"That would be an understatement." Kronon gripped the handle of his sword. "I've known Commander Goldar for centuries now, and I've never seen him lose control like that before." His demeanor became somber. "I don't think he'll be able to make peace with Scorpina's death until he finds them."

Tommy closed his eyes and sighed. If losing Scorpina for Goldar felt anything like the thought of losing Kim, then Tommy knew well the rage he was dealing with. Hell, losing Scorpina as a friend was painful enough to send _him_ into a murderous rage – that certainly had to pale in comparison to what Goldar was feeling.

But understanding his pain didn't change what needed to be done.

Tom shook his head in disgust. **"Scorpina must be rolling in her grave knowing you're allowing her husband to suffer like this."**

The green ranger ignored Tom. If he had to deny Goldar his peace of mind to protect Kimberly and their son, so be it.

"I suspect he wouldn't." He clasped Kronon's shoulder. "This zone is back under your command. I'm heading back to the base. Alert me if you need my assistance."

"Yes, Commander."

Tommy teleported back to his quarters at the Lunar Palace. He headed to the bathroom and de-morphed back into his regular clothes, staring at himself in the mirror. The tension from the last few days slowly eased out of him, and he sagged against the counter.

Kimberly was safe. Their baby was safe. He wasn't sure how in the hell Andros did it, but he did.

' _Thank god,'_ the teen thought wearily as he splashed cold water on his face. He wished he could see and talk to Kimberly himself to confirm she was safe, but it was enough for now to know Goldar hadn't gotten to her.

The green ranger headed back into his bedroom. He had about three hours before the daily war council and wanted to take a shower to clean off the sweat from the afternoon. Tommy peeled off his shirt and jeans, grabbing the coin from his front pocket before tossing his clothes into the hamper.

Tommy turned the coin over in his hand, staring at it intently. If what Kronon said was true, then Andros knew that he was telling the truth about the attack.

So why hadn't he contacted him yet?

" **I told you trusting him was a mistake,"** Tom said from his perch against the wall. **"He used you, and it will only be a matter of time before Goldar figures out you're the reason the attack was a failure."**

Tommy scowled, tossing the coin onto the bed and heading for the bathroom. He wanted to argue back that Andros wouldn't do that, but what proof did he have? A few tense conversations certainly didn't make them friends or even acquaintances. Should he really have expected anything from someone he barely even knew?

Maybe Tom _was_ right…

Tommy took a quick shower, scrubbing roughly at his skin in his frustration. The green ranger rinsed off when he was done and stepped out of the shower, water puddling around his feet. He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist, heading back into his bedroom to grab some clothes. He froze when he noticed the coin on his bed emitting a pulsing red glow.

"The hell…?" he murmured in confusion.

Cautiously, he approached the glowing coin and picked it up. The green ranger yelped in surprise when a blinding light flashed before his eyes, sending him down to the floor to his knees.

" _Doyers Street. Manhattan,"_ he heard Andros say. _"Be there in thirty-six hours."_

The message ended as abruptly as it began. Tommy shook his head to clear it, a little disoriented from hearing Andros' voice. He climbed to his feet slowly, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

He shot a triumphant smirk in Tom's direction, only to find the man was no longer in the room. The green ranger frowned, briefly wondering where Tom went before turning his attention back to the coin in his hand.

' _Thirty-six hours, huh?'_ he thought as he made his way to his dresser, setting the coin on top. _'What the hell is taking him so long?'_

He pulled on a pair boxers and an undershirt on before sitting on the bed. He adjusted his alarm clock, setting it so it would wake him up fifteen minutes before the meeting.

He stared at the coin again. ' _You'd think he'd be faster about getting things moving on this.'_

" **Hey."** Tommy turned at the hand on his shoulder. **"Relax, man, you just gotta be patient. He wants to meet up – that's a good sign. Focus on that."**

The green ranger frowned, reaching out and grabbing the coin. He twisted it between his fingers, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Tommy climbed under the covers and sighed, placing the coin on the nightstand next to his alarm clock before rolling onto his side. T was right. He just had to get through the next day and a half.

He gazed out his bedroom window at the stars shining back at him. Kimberly was somewhere out there now, tucked away safe from Goldar and Lord Zedd. Tommy wondered if she liked wherever she was, if she was scared about being so far away from home. He was curious if Andros put her somewhere with others she could talk to – Kim was always a social person. Solitude wouldn't work for her.

The green ranger sighed and rolled onto his back. More than anything, he just wanted to see her.

" **You know that's not possible,"** T reminded him gently.

"I know."

The green ranger closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. And in the final moments before consciousness left him, he couldn't help but wonder if, wherever Kimberly was right now, she was thinking of him, too.

* * *

 **Chinatown (Manhattan)**

 **Doyers Street**

 **New York City, NY**

 **Friday, 8:16 PM**

The green ranger teleported to the specified location, eyebrows raised when he materialized in the deserted alley with Tom and T at his side. A nearby stray dog turned at his sudden appearance and began barking angrily in his direction.

Tommy's eyes flashed green. "Shut up," he hissed, hands cackling with energy.

The dog immediately stopped barking, ears and tail falling limply. It whined and scurried behind a trashcan.

"Must you be so abrasive even with harmless animals?"

Tommy turned upon hearing Andros' voice. "Must you never wear regular clothes?" he asked taking in the red ranger's attire. "Or are you just comfortable looking like an astronaut all the time?"

The younger man frowned. "A what?"

" **Oh, dear god…"** Tom mumbled under his breath.

The green ranger sighed. "Never mind." He crossed his arms over his chest. "What are we doing here? You couldn't have picked a better place?"

Disgusting was the best word Tommy could think of to describe the area around them. The alley smelled like cigarettes, alcohol, and piss. Trash littered the ground, and there were rats running around the area, one even bumping into his shoe at one point.

Andros rolled his eyes. "You were right about Goldar's attack. You saved many lives by sharing that information with me. Thank you."

T shot Tommy two thumbs up, while Tom glared with disdain. The green ranger shifted uncomfortably from the praise. He only cared about getting Kimberly and the baby to safety – the others were of no concern.

"Whatever," he said shrugging. "Is Kimberly okay?"

Andros nodded. "She was moved to a secure location." The red ranger's gaze hardened. "One I will not disclose."

Tommy scowled. "I don't need to…" He shook his head. "As long as she's safe, I don't care."

That wasn't _entirely_ true. He wanted to know where she and the baby were quite badly, but if not knowing kept her safe… well, he'd try to live with that.

For now.

"Your actions have shown me you might be an ally in our fight with Lord Zedd – "

"I _am_ ," Tommy interrupted.

" – and that may be true," the red ranger continued. "But it's not enough." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You want my help, then you're going to tell me everything I want to know. Right now."

Tommy clenched his fists, wisps of green energy dancing along his arms. "Or what?"

"Or we go our separate ways with taking down Zedd." Andros looked at him with a hard glint in his eyes. "That means no Kim, no baby, and you'll still be under his control."

Tommy's nostrils flared as he realized he had no choice but to comply. Even though Andros needed him, he needed Andros and the other rangers more. Taking down the emperor on his own would be impossible.

" **Don't do it…"** Tom warned.

"What do you want to know?" he asked tightly, ignoring the expletives coming from the older version of himself.

"The night of the siege…with Zack…"

The green ranger rolled his eyes. "I already explained why I went after him. My answer isn't going to change now that you – "

"I'm not interested in that – your motivation was perfectly clear." He paused. "I'm much more interested in why he's still alive."

Tommy looked away, suddenly growing quiet.

"I thought at first it was because of Kimberly, knowing her personal history with the black ranger… but then I figured you've hurt her countless times before, so that couldn't be a compelling enough reason for you to keep from killing him."

The green ranger flinched at the dig.

"Zack is the enemy – it is your job to kill him and others who fight against the Dark Empire." Andros narrowed his eyes. "He killed Scorpina."

"I'm aware," Tommy said through gritted teeth, chest tight at the thought of his fallen friend.

"So why did you save him?"

"Is it a crime to change my mind?"

"It is in this case – in fact, it's treason," the KOan pointed out. "I've seen the footage, Tommy. You're ruthless when you want to be and kill without hesitation. The others briefed me on your relationship with Zack – at best, you had a strained friendship before you joined the Dark Empire. He was defenseless and moments away from death. All you had to do was walk away and let nature run its course."

" **Exactly,"** Tom hissed.

"Don't you think I know that?!" the green ranger snapped.

"Then _why?_ " Andros pressed.

" **Because you're weak."**

"I-I don't know," Tommy whispered after several seconds of silence. "I just… I just didn't want him to die, all right?" He stared down at the ground. "Not like that."

He could feel Andros studying him intently, hazel eyes narrowed curiously before he held out a hand to the green ranger. "Come with me."

Tommy eyed his hand warily.

"What?" the red ranger asked in confusion.

"Why are you holding out your hand?"

"We're going somewhere we can't be followed to continue our discussion. I have to teleport us there."

Tommy made a face. "Okay, but why do I have to hold your hand in order to – "

The red ranger rolled his eyes and scowled. "Just grab my hand, Tommy."

"I'm just saying I could grab your arm or shoulder or – "

Andros forcibly grabbed the green ranger's hand, tightening his grip until Tommy winced in pain.

"Let's go."

Tommy felt the uncomfortable tug of teleportation, and the world around him became a rush of colors and sounds as they moved through space and time. He stumbled when they finally came to a stop, shaking his head from the rush of moving so quickly. It felt weird to be in the passenger seat during teleportation.

Tommy pulled away from the red ranger. "Never do that again, dude. That was…" He gasped as he took in their surroundings. "Whoa."

" **Holy** _ **shit**_ **… this place is awesome!"** T said excitedly. Tom merely crossed his arms over his chest.

The place they were in had no walls. Solid ground was beneath their feet and some buildings were nearby, but the sky was white and seemed to stretch forever. It was almost too much to take in.

"Where the hell are we?" the green ranger asked.

"Pocket dimension," Andros said. "Similar to your dark dimensions that Lord Zedd has."

The green ranger nodded. He was very familiar with the dark dimensions – areas where any object could be conjured for whatever reason. They originally belonged to Rita and were used to hold prisoners. When Lord Zedd took over, some of the dimensions were repurposed. Many of his training sessions with Scorpina were held in dark dimensions.

"So, none of this stuff is real then?" he asked, poking at the building closest to him.

"It's real enough."

Andros reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a miniature remote, hitting a button on it three times. A loud beep sounded and then there was a flicker. A spaceship materialized out of thin air, apparently hidden by some sort of shield.

"Welcome to the Astro Megaship," he said with pride in his voice.

Tommy studied the ship silently and then shrugged. "I've seen bigger."

" **Dude…"** T warned. Tom chuckled softly.

The green ranger grinned at the flash of annoyance on Andros' face. There was something satisfying about getting under the reserved ranger's skin, not to mention pissing someone else off served as a good distraction from Tommy's own problems.

"Follow me," the red ranger ordered leading the way to the boarding ramp.

When they made it aboard, they were immediately greeted by Zhane, who did not seem at all pleased at Tommy's presence.

"Green ranger," he said tersely.

"Hey, buddy," Tommy said with a cheeky grin, playfully smacking the taller man on the arm. "How're you doing?"

Zhane turned to Andros with a pleading expression. "Andros, _please_ reconsider this." He glared at Tommy. "He can't be trusted."

"I understand your hesitation, Zhane, but his actions as of late have proven we should reconsider his offer." When Zhane made to argue again, Andros raised his hand to silence him. "Nothing is set in stone, but we both know our chances of defeating Zedd are much better with him on our side."

Tommy raised his hand up high. "Yeah, hi, not sure if you're aware, but I'm not deaf," he said with a scowl. "So… if you could just _not_ talk about me like I'm not standing right here, that'd be great."

The KOans looked at each other. "We'll be in the Operations Room. Please send our guest in," the red ranger said.

Zhane sighed. "Yes, sir."

Andros led Tommy through the ship's corridors, pressing a button next to a large door and letting it slide open. They entered a room lined with computers and large monitors. A metal table sat in the center surrounded by several chairs. The two teens took their seats.

"So… we have a guest?" Tommy asked in, fingers tapping the table. "Just how many people are you letting in on this? Zhane I expected, but who else is going to – "

The doors slid open, and Zhane walked through, taking a seat at the table. Tommy rolled his eyes when he saw who walked in behind him.

"You have got to be shitting me."

T sighed. **"Oh boy…"**

Tom took a seat next to Tommy. **"This should be good."**

Jason glared in his direction, hands balling into fists. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"Could ask the same about you," Tommy said nastily.

"I told you I might have a way to stop Zedd," Andros said, holding Jason back from attacking Tommy. "It involves him."

"We can't trust this bastard, Andros," Jason hissed. "He's too interested in being Zedd's number one bitch to actually be of any help."

Tommy glared at Zhane when he halfheartedly tried to mask his chuckle with a cough. The green ranger rose to his feet angrily.

"Wanna say that again?" Green flames danced at his fingertips.

"Did I stutter?" Jason hissed before turning to his fellow red ranger. "You're an idiot if you think we can get him to fight on our side. Did you already forget what he did to Zack?"

"You mean save his life?" Tommy asked, trying to get to Jason around Andros.

The red Earth ranger growled. "Only after you – "

"ENOUGH!" Andros shouted, shoving both of them back and forcing them to look at him. "We do _NOT_ have time for your petty arguments! Every second we waste on this ridiculous rivalry is another second Zedd has to gain even more power." He glared at them. "Stop behaving like children."

Jason's cheeks flushed red from being scolded, while Tommy simply crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.

"He started it," the green ranger mumbled.

Jason shot him a look of disbelief while Zhane rolled his eyes. "Seriously?"

"Both of you sit. Please," Andros said wearily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Tommy and Jason sat down on opposite ends of the table.

"I asked you here today to discuss how we can move forward with the plan to take down Zedd." Andros held up a hand when both of them began to complain. "Tommy, we need Jason to be in on this. He is leading the mission on this planet. As the leader of the Earth team, we are obligated to inform him of our plans."

The green ranger rolled his eyes.

"And Jason, as much as you may hate it, we need Tommy to gain key insight and information about the operations of the Dark Empire. I have been working to take down Zedd for years – having someone on the inside so close to him will prove invaluable in this fight."

Tommy gave a shit-eating grin at the anger on Jason's face, knowing it was killing him that he needed Tommy for anything.

The red Earth ranger shook his head. "This is a complete breach of protocol, Andros. You were not authorized to make deals with the enemy in this fight. It was completely irresponsible to – "

"I reached out to Tommy back when I was on KO-35, before I was requested to aid with the fight on Earth. Upon learning of his crimes, I refrained from any further attempts at collaboration," the space ranger said coolly. "This only came about when he approached me."

Jason narrowed his eyes as he peered at the green ranger. "Why?"

Tommy drew random shapes on the table's surface with his index finger. "Mind your business. You don't need to know why I've decided to help you, only that I have."

Jason looked at Andros incredulously. "How can we trust him when he can't even be honest with us?"

"Don't you _dare_ bring up honesty," Tommy growled.

Jason's nostrils flared at the gibe, and he turned his attention back to the striped-haired teen. "I can't work with him, Andros. I need to be able to _trust_ the people around me to have my back. This selfish bastard wouldn't lift a finger to help me."

"He already did."

Tommy shifted uncomfortably at the surprise on Jason's face. " _Excuse_ me?"

"Relocating from the Command Center before Goldar's attack didn't happen by chance, Jason," Andros explained patiently. "We were tipped off…by him."

Heat crept up Tommy's neck from Jason's intense gaze. "What?" he snapped defensively.

"Is that true?" Jason asked.

Tommy averted his gaze. "It's not a big deal."

"He decimated the Command Center, burned it down to the ground in the middle of the night while we were sleeping." He paused and looked away, jaw tight. "You saved our lives," he said, voice strained.

The green ranger shrugged with false nonchalance. "Whatever. Saving you and your team was not the goal."

"Then what was?"

The green ranger turned away and leaned back in his chair, effectively closing the topic for discussion. An awkward silence settled over the group until Andros cleared his throat.

"Does this mean you are willing to work with us, Jason?"

The dark-haired teen chewed on his bottom lip. "You really think we can trust him?"

"Yes." Tommy watched curiously as the uncertainty in Jason's eyes began to fade.

Jason sighed. "I don't like this at all…" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Does Zordon know?"

Andros shook his head. "I did not want to approach him until I was sure you were on board."

"I'm not," the black-haired teen snapped. "But as leader, I want to be informed of everything about this ridiculous plan of yours, especially if it involves him. Everything he says, everything he does has to be reported to me."

Tommy could see the range of emotions flitting across his former friend's face. He was hunched over, body tense as he clasped his hands together in his lap.

"Well," Jason said gruffly after a long stretch of silence. "How're we gonna take him down?"

Jason looked somewhere between exasperated and wanting to throttle him. Zhane was tense, as if he was waiting for Tommy to do anything that seemed vaguely threatening. Andros was a little harder to get a read on, though his body language was awkward like he was anxious.

It felt good to know that he unnerved them.

"I've got an idea." The green ranger rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Give me a few days to get some things together first."

"Fine," Jason said curtly. He rose to his feet and reached for his communicator, teleporting out of the ship in a flash of red.

Zhane stood and headed for the door, pausing on his way out. "I hope you know what you're doing, Andros," he said softly.

The door slid closed behind the blond teen and Andros sagged into his chair wearily. "So do I."

Tommy rubbed his hands together. "We're really doing this, huh?"

"So it would seem," the space ranger said. "But let me make myself clear – we may work together, but I am keeping my eye on you."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"We can't trust you… not completely."

The green ranger chuckled softly. "So was all that before just a show for Jason's benefit? Make him think you're totally on board in order to get his buy in?" He paused when the pieces suddenly came together. "He doesn't know you can't read my mind."

"No, he doesn't, but frankly, I don't need to." Andros turned his chair so that he was facing Tommy. "I know I can trust you'll cooperate. You have too much at stake."

The green ranger narrowed his eyes, not liking how Andros thought he knew him. Or how right he was.

"Anything else?" Tommy asked snidely.

"As a matter of fact, there is." The red ranger frowned. "While I may trust your intentions, your mental state is still a cause for concern. If you're going to work with us, we'll need to address the matter of your hallucinations."

"I'm fine," the green ranger said through gritted teeth.

"I think Zack would beg to differ." Tommy looked away. "You need help, and I can provide that."

Tom and T shot anxious looks in Andros' direction. "How?"

"We'll cross that bridge when it's time. Now," Andros motioned for him to sit in the chair next to him. "Tell me about your idea."

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Finster's Workshop**

 **The Moon**

 **Tuesday, Local Time, Unknown**

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

Tommy paused, hand hovering over the stone piece. It was a risky move, but it would give him the advantage he needed. He studied the board again and continued with his plan.

A light chuckle came from across the table. His opponent moved several pieces around in rapid succession, and the green ranger groaned when he realized he'd been outsmarted.

"Dammit," he muttered, sitting back in defeat.

Finster chuckled again. "You've certainly improved, Commander, but you're still unable to see the bigger picture." He captured six of Tommy's pieces. "I knew your intentions early on and let you become comfortable enough to drop your guard."

The green ranger sighed. "Scorpina would always yell at me for being shortsighted when we played together." He frowned. "She'd kick my ass for this."

Finster became despondent at the mention of their fallen friend. The green ranger averted his gaze, unable to look at the Clayoidian when he got like this. Finster was never an overly emotional person, but it was clear to see that Scorpina's death had taken its toll on him.

"Thank you, Tommy, for the game," he said in his wispy voice after a long stretch of silence. "It is rare that I get visitors for reasons beyond making repairs or new monsters. I haven't had someone visit for the sake of spending time since…"

Tommy flinched. He hadn't stopped by Finster's for a social visit – he came to steal files from his computer. He hadn't anticipated Finster being there during lunch and was forced to come up with a plausible reason for dropping by unannounced. The Tai Shun Ki board off in the corner provided him with the excuse he needed.

Tom scoffed from his seat next to Tommy. **"Scorpina… the Emperor… Goldar… now Finster? You're on a roll."**

The green ranger cleared his throat awkwardly. "Finster, I – "

A loud crash startled the two of them. They rushed to the door, and Tommy rolled his eyes at the sight of Squatt and Baboo.

"Finster! Finster!" Squatt yelled in typical dramatic fashion. "We need your help right away!"

"What is it?

"Uh, well…" Baboo fidgeted uncomfortably. "You know how you told us not to mess with the prototypes you had downstairs of the new foot soldiers?"

"Yes?" Tommy could hear traces of irritation in Finster's voice.

"We sorta got a little excited and now they're blowing holes in the lower chambers of the palace." Baboo gave a sheepish grin. "We'd really appreciate it if you could get them to stop."

Squatt nodded vigorously. "Please, Finster! Lord Zedd will have our heads if they do anymore damage!"

The Clayoiodian sighed tiredly. "If you'll excuse me, Commander."

"Of course."

Tommy waited until their voices faded into nothingness before making his move. He rushed to Finster's computer and began searching through his files. There were thousands of documents, most of which were digital sketches of monsters and artillery upgrades.

His eyes flashed green when he finally found the documents he was looking for. "Jackpot."

Tommy reached into his inner pocket and pulled out small, metallic device. It was circular, like a thick disc, with a large silver button on it. It was a data cloner and would copy all content from the device it was attached to. He followed Andros' instructions, pressing it along the side of the computer's casing and tapping the silver button.

The device began to hum and light up, and he jumped back when it magnetized and attached itself to the side of the computer. The display flickered rapidly as the files were copied.

"Come on," he urged, willing the device to go faster as he checked his watch.

" **What the hell is taking it so long?"** T asked over his shoulder **. "This thing's been going forever. Finster will be back soon!"**

Tommy bit his lip – it had been nearly ten minutes already. If Finster caught him, there would only be two possible ways of getting out of this. He could lie, but Finster was too smart for his own good. Hell, he'd probably even recognize the cloner for what it was. That left killing him, and the green ranger _really_ didn't want it to come down to that. Finster was always good to him, but he'd take him out if need be.

Tom shook his head in disbelief. **"Jesus, boy…"**

"Shut up, all right?" the green ranger snapped. "This is hard enough without your shitty commentary."

The device gave a soft beep before the humming stopped. It demagnetized and dropped to the floor near his feet.

T grinned and clasped Tommy's shoulder. **"Looks like no one has to die today."**

"…heed my warnings when I tell you not to mess with my inventions. They're very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing," came Finster's soft but stern voice.

"We won't do it again – promise," he heard Baboo say.

"Shit," Tommy whispered, frantically closing out all of the folders he opened. He didn't want to leave any traces of what he'd done.

When everything was back to normal, he grabbed the cloner and put it back in his inner coat pocket. He walked back into the main area just as Finster, Squatt, and Baboo returned.

"Ah, Commander! I didn't expect you to still be here," Finster said in surprise.

Tommy grinned. "Well, you beat me pretty good last time. I was trying to figure out where in the hell I could have gone wrong…"

"Oh boy! Tommy versus Finster? That must have been exciting," Baboo said gleefully. Squatt nodded in agreement.

The green ranger pressed his hand against his jacket where the cloner was hidden. All he needed to do now was get this back to Andros.

"I take it you're headed off now?"

Tommy looked up at Finster's question. "Yeah, got some business I need to take care of."

"I see. Well, thank you for stopping by, Commander."

The green ranger stopped on his way out the door, frowning at the alien's sad tone. He really should leave right now – the sooner he got this information to Andros, the sooner their plan could be set in motion.

But it didn't _feel_ right leaving Finster either.

He turned back to the Clayoidian and smiled. "Hey, how about another round? I have to try and redeem myself, right?"

Finster laughed softly, blue eyes lighting up. "Certainly."

One more game couldn't hurt.

* * *

 **Morphing Grid**

 **Pocket Dimension 17**

 **Wednesday, 11:51 PM**

"And you're sure this is the best approach?"

The green ranger nodded. "Yes, but only if executed correctly."

The four teens were onboard the Astro Megaship discussing the plans Tommy brought back from the Lunar Palace.

He pulled up several schematics on the ship's computer. "Weapons caches. Transport bays. Communication stations." He pointed to each one in turn. "This is where we need to focus our attack."

"What about his soldiers?" Jason asked. "We're supposed to just ignore them?"

The green ranger bristled at his sarcastic tone.

" **Don't listen to him, man,"** T said calmly. **"He's just trying to get a rise out of you."**

Tommy took a deep breath before speaking. "Attacking his army head on is suicide. Lord Zedd literally has millions of soldiers at his disposal, and you don't have the manpower to fight them all. You take one soldier down, there's easily another ten ready to take his place – that's why engaging him directly is a mistake." The green ranger pointed to the images on the display. "You have to hit him where it actually hurts."

Tommy zoomed in on the map. "The first thing to take out are the smaller communication stations at the outer edge of the Milky Way. Lord Zedd has an intergalactic communication network that allows him to mobilize his forces very quickly. If we disable these stations first, he'll have no way of calling for reinforcements from the other territories." He pointed at the border of the Milky Way galaxy. "From here, one team needs to head inward and another outward in destroying the rest. It has to be systematic but appear random so no one notices what's going on right away."

"Won't someone realize those stations haven't been in contact in some time?" Zhane asked skeptically.

Tommy grinned. "That's exactly the reason why this will work – small stations are rarely checked. The function of a smaller station is to act as a pass-through for larger ones." He circled out several large dots on the map. "The larger stations get all the focus, so we can do quite a bit of damage before anyone catches on."

"Why even rely on comm stations in the first place?" Jason asked. "Technology advanced beyond them centuries ago. You can't expect us to believe Zedd would actually use them."

"It's that type of thinking which led him to use them in the first place. Yes, comm stations were abandoned when they outlived their usefulness, but they were still functional. Lord Zedd knew that, so he swooped in and took them all."

"And no one was the wiser." Zhane sighed. "He's been using them this whole time and no one's picked up on it? How is that even possible?"

"Because the network is designed to be discreet." Tommy zoomed in on the map. "Large stations are spread far apart, so it would take quite a bit of energy and time to communicate between them directly. And with the amount of communication that goes on within the Dark Empire, it would make intercepting a message child's play. Getting the message to a small station, though… that takes maybe one-tenth of the energy and basically goes unnoticed. He's had dozens of smaller stations constructed and placed in strategic locations throughout the empire."

"That's… actually brilliant," Andros admitted. "If all the messages have been calibrated to reach stations at short distances, we'd never pick up on them because we've been searching for signals at a higher frequency. He's been handling all of his business in plain sight this whole time." The space ranger shook his head in disbelief. "But to Zhane's point, if we took them out, someone would have to notice that the messages aren't going through eventually."

"They will," the green ranger confessed. "But it will take some time. As long as the large stations are intact in this galaxy and some smaller ones exist to pass along messages between them, it won't immediately rouse suspicion. Delays are expected when communicating between galaxies using the comm stations, so it could be weeks, maybe even months before anyone would pick up on any problems."

"Then that's when we have to strike," Andros said approaching the display. "Before they realize what's going on. We have to take out the resources in the other galaxies while communication is severed. First the transport bays, then the weapons caches."

The green ranger nodded. "Exactly. The bays have all the transport ships, and the ships carry not only soldiers and weapons but also food, armor, and medical supplies. Most of the soldiers can't even survive in our atmosphere without the cargo on these ships. If you take them out and the weapons caches, the soldiers here will be stranded."

"And with the comm stations down, they can't call for aid." Jason crossed his arms over his chest. "All right, so this plan isn't _complete_ shit…"

" **Ignore him,"** T urged.

"After you've taken care of the other galaxies, things become a bit more difficult," Tommy said through gritted teeth while circling several areas on the map. "We'll need to take out the larger comm stations and destroy key transport bays within the Milky Way simultaneously."

"We can't do that," Zhane explained. "There's no way we could – "

"We don't have a choice," Andros interrupted. "If we attack in this galaxy, Zedd will be notified fairly quickly of what's going on, correct?" Tommy nodded. "Our best bet then is to hit multiple areas at once in a coordinated assault. Maximize the damage in the smallest window of time."

"Precisely."

Jason ran his hands over his face. "It's risky as hell. We don't have enough people to carry out a mission this big."

"I know the rebel forces on KO-35 can help… perhaps we can ask Jen if some of the Time Force police can also assist?" Andros suggested. "My understanding is that there are hundreds of them, and the outcome of this mission certainly falls under their jurisdiction. Their artillery would also prove invaluable."

' _The outcome of this mission?'_ Tommy frowned. _'Why would Time Force care about that?'_

"And just how do you expect to explain this to her?" Jason asked. "We can't exactly say where we got all this intel from. Jen's too smart – she'll have way too many questions."

"He's right, Andros," Zhane said softly. "She won't go along with this unless she knows the full story."

"Absolutely not," Tommy said vehemently. "The more people that know about this, the more danger I'm in. We _can't_ tell her."

"If we don't tell her, we don't get the support of Time Force. We have to bring her in."

"The rebels will be enough."

"No, they won't," Andros said sternly. "They don't have the experience or the technology at their disposal like Time Force does. Either we bring them in, or this whole thing is falls apart before it even gets off the ground."

"You're asking me to put my freedom on the line here. You have no guarantee she won't take me in to the Eltarians."

"Then I'll only get her involved if she agrees not to arrest you." Andros held out his hand. "I swear it."

Tommy cursed under his breath. "Fine." He clasped Andros' hand in a firm shake. "But _only_ her."

"Agreed." Andros returned his attention to the map on the display. "So…where should we target first?"

The green ranger zoomed out the map. "These are the territories we should focus on." Tommy pointed out the galaxies as he named them. "Whirlpool, Andromeda – "

"We already know the extent of Zedd's empire," Jason hissed. "Try telling us something useful."

"He also has territories in Messiers 82, 83, and 104," the green ranger said smugly.

"Wait, _what!?_ " Zhane asked alarmed. "Since when?"

"That's complete bullshit," the red Earth ranger said with a scowl. "Mondo and Zedd hated each other. There's no way he'd let Zedd move in on his territories without – "

"Within the last century," Tommy continued as if the red ranger hadn't spoken. "He's one of Lord Zedd's commanders."

Andros shook his head. "Tommy… that _can't_ be right. Those galaxies belong to the Machine Empire, not Zedd. Since he came to power, King Sprocket has – "

"King Sprocket negotiated with the Eltarians under false pretenses. He's under Lord Zedd's control," the green ranger interrupted. "How do you think he even came to power?"

At their silence, Tommy continued.

"He made a deal with Lord Zedd. He would allow the Emperor to set up comm stations in the Machine Empire and give forty percent of the empire's annual profits in exchange for the emperor's help in the overthrow of King Mondo." Tommy crossed his arms over his chest. "Zedd took out Mondo and Machina and killed Prince Gasket to ensure that Sprocket was the next in line to inherit the throne. Sprocket is just a figurehead. Lord Zedd's been funneling money and supplies from him for years."

Zhane swore under his breath, face flushed with anger. "Andros, we _must_ tell the Eltarian Council."

Andros looked away, jaw clenched. "We can't," he said tightly. "Not without proof."

"Which he doesn't have," Jason pointed out, much to the green ranger's annoyance. "The Machine Empire has been an ally for centuries. He's just trying to cause a rift with them."

Tommy glared at the dark-haired teen. "If you need proof, I can get it. All transactions are recorded in the ledgers. I can download a copy that you can take back to the Eltarians."

Jason frowned. "Why wasn't it included in the files you already grabbed?"

"Finster doesn't have access to that information, so it wasn't in the files. Also, I didn't think it was important at the time."

"Not important? Something that big doesn't warrant sharing with the rest of us?" The red Earth ranger's nostrils flared. "Makes me wonder what else you think isn't important."

"Jason…" Andros warned.

"Come off it, Andros. We're letting _him_ decide what's important to tell us now? How can we trust his judgment?"

"You really think you're in a position to question someone else's judgment?" Tommy asked snidely.

"How do we know you're not planning to double-cross us?"

"Because I give you my word."

"Your word means _shit!_ "

The green ranger narrowed his eyes. Jason's anger really didn't make a whole lot of sense to him. Yes, he worked for Lord Zedd, but he'd never done anything personally that should warrant him being so hostile and suspicious. Well, aside from nearly killing Zack and…

Tommy grinned. _'Ohh… he's still pissed about Kimberly.'_

" **Dude, don't do it."**

' _I'm just gonna have a little fun. He's been such an ass this whole meeting. It's only fair.'_

T groaned. **"God dammit…"**

"You know Jason, I'm insulted." Tommy's eyes flashed green in amusement. "Kim was much better about trusting me than you are."

The red Earth ranger stilled, fists balled up at his sides. "Don't you _dare_ say her name."

' _Bingo.'_

" **Shit, Tommy, please don't!"**

"Of course, she may not have had the best judgment." Tommy winked. "She _was_ a little preoccupied with cumming on my d – "

He stumbled back when Jason's fist connected with his jaw. The green ranger blinked rapidly to clear his now blurred vision. He saw Zhane step forward to break them up, but Andros held out an arm and stopped him.

"You still hit like a little bitch," he said spitting out blood. "No wonder Kim was so desperate to find a real man."

Jason growled and charged at him, allowing Tommy to grab him in a headlock.

"What the fuck did she see in you?" the black-haired teen rasped.

"Newsflash, Jason. She wasn't fucking my _personality_." The green ranger grinned, blood staining his teeth and bottom lip.

The red ranger yelled, twisting hard to try and break free. "You son of a bitch!"

Tommy bent over until he was level with Jason's ear. "You're jealous of me. You've _always_ been jealous of me, and you're angry because you'll never measure up. I was just too naïve to see it before," the green ranger whispered. "Normally, I'd find this funny, but you're fucking up my plans right now with your feelings." He tightened his hold. "We can deal with this later, all right? Right now, do your job, you sorry sack of sh – !"

"You're wrong," the red ranger rasped.

Tommy paused, loosening his hold slightly. "Oh, really?"

"I could never be jealous of a coward."

"That's rich coming from you," the green ranger retorted.

"I know I fucked up for what I did to you, but at least I'm being a man and owning it now. You can't even do that." Jason tried again to break his grip. "You're just a child pretending to be a man, and no matter what you do, the power and the suit can't hide the fact that you're nothing more than Zedd's little homicidal errand boy – _oomph!_ "

Tommy kicked Jason's legs from under him and slammed him hard into the ground, denting the floor. He straddled the wheezing red ranger, one hand tight around his throat.

"Shut up," he growled.

"Why are you even _here_ , Tommy?" Jason hissed. "You honestly expect me to believe that you want to be a good guy now?" He laughed. "You think Kim's gonna take you back because you're pretending to betray your master?"

"I'm not pretending, asshole. I'm doing this for – "

"I don't believe you," Jason interrupted. "You may have them fooled, but I _know_ you. You are _incapable_ of putting others first – even your own flesh and blood, but that's nothing new, right? Doesn't matter _who_ gets hurt in the process as long as _Tommy_ gets what _he_ wants, right?!"

The green ranger was surprised to hear the raw hurt underneath the anger in his former friend's words.

"Let me ask you something… what's it like to be you, huh? How do you sleep at night knowing what you've done to people?" Jason swallowed thickly. "Kim, Scorpina, Zack, your parents – " He gasped when Tommy's grip around his throat tightened. "You're poison to everyone around you, Tommy. No wonder Kim left."

The green ranger blinked back tears as his eyes began to glow from anger, wisps of energy dancing along his skin. He could feel Jason's windpipe giving way beneath his hand.

"Tommy…" he choked out as he clawed at the green ranger's wrist.

Tommy summoned his Dragon dagger and pressed it against his throat. The weapon trembled in his hand from the emotions racing through him.

"Do it."

The green ranger turned, staring at Andros as if seeing him for the first time. "W-What?"

"You want to kill him? Do it."

"Right, because you're just gonna let me do that."

"Yes," Andros said seriously.

Zhane's eyes widened. "You can't be – "

"I am," the striped-haired teen said. "No one knows we're here. You can kill him... right now."

Tommy scoffed. "Don't try to bullshit me, Andros. I know if I kill him then this whole deal is off. I'm not stupid."

"I give you my word, right now, that if you kill him, there will be no consequence. Zhane nor I will speak of what happened, and we will still work together to take down Zedd. Trini is next in the Earth team's chain of command – we can get her briefed on the situation in a matter of hours."

"Andros… what the fuck are you doing?" Jason yelled.

"Whatever is necessary for this mission to succeed," the KOan responded coolly.

The green ranger's grip on his Dragon dagger tightened. "You mean it?"

"I swear on Karone's life."

Zhane made a move towards the struggling teens but was stopped by Andros. "Sir!"

"Stay where you are, Zhane."

Tommy pressed the blade against Jason's throat, the metal scraping against his Adam's apple. He could end it now – kill him with no consequence.

" **You already know killing him won't change anything,"** T reminded him gently.

" **It doesn't matter if it won't change anything. He needs to learn a lesson,"** Tom snarled, suddenly appearing at Tommy's side. **"Kill him."**

T grabbed Tommy's arm. **"You're better than this, Tommy…"**

" **No, he's not,"** Tom said, shoving T backwards. **"** _ **This**_ **is who he is – a killer with no remorse. Stop trying to change that."** He turned to Tommy. **"Do what you were** _ **meant**_ **to do, Tommy."**

T shook his head. **"You really wanna prove Jason right?"**

" **KILL HIM!"** Tom screamed.

Tommy growled low in his throat, eyes flashing green as he raised the blade in the air. He brought it down quickly, aiming directly for Jason's throat. The fear in the younger boy's eyes was quite thrilling, and Tommy felt an incredible sense of power having Jason's life in his hands.

And then, just like with Zack, the adrenaline, the power – it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

The rush was gone, and without it, he found he just _couldn't_ do it.

Frustrated, Tommy changed his trajectory at the last second and embedded the knife into the floor next to Jason's ear.

' _Why couldn't I…?'_ He frowned, angry with himself. He looked down to see Jason looking back at him with wide eyes.

Tommy released the red ranger in disgust. "Get up," he grunted as he rose to his feet. "Like I said… we have bigger things to worry about than your bullshit."

He sheathed his Dragon dagger and closed his eyes, body still trembling from the adrenaline coursing through him. He could feel the others watching him and suddenly felt claustrophobic in the large room.

"Need some air," he murmured, not waiting for their acknowledgement as he exited the room.

Tommy made his way off the ship, sighing in relief at the open space around him. He ran his hands through his hair roughly before sitting on the ground, legs bent and arms wrapped around his knees. Tom and T were thankfully gone.

He replayed the moment over and over again in his head, still unsure that it happened. Jason was exactly where he wanted – he even got the greenlight from Andros.

Why did he stop himself?

The green ranger tensed slightly when he felt another presence nearby. The other person sat down on the ground a few feet away.

"Sorry about stabbing your ship."

Andros chuckled softly. "The damage can be repaired."

A long stretch of silence passed. "I was going to kill him," Tommy confessed. "I wanted to."

"I know," the KOan said. "But what matters is that you didn't."

"What if I had?"

There was a pregnant pause. "Then we'd be having a very different conversation right now."

Tommy cracked a smile at that. "Did you know?" he asked softly. "That I wouldn't…?"

"No," Andros said. "But I suspected you wouldn't."

"Why?"

Andros seemed to consider his question carefully. "I have no doubt in my mind that Jason was right about the man he described, but I also believe that man and the man you are now are no longer the same." Tommy looked at him curiously. "That man would not have saved Zack's life. He wouldn't have warned his enemies about Goldar's attack… he certainly wouldn't be helping us take down Zedd." Andros paused. "And he wouldn't have spared Jason's life."

The green ranger looked away, discomfort visible on his features.

"Jason is hurt and angry, and it keeps him from seeing things clearly. It will pass."

Tommy scoffed. "Doubt it. He's never going to think I'm a good person, Andros."

"There's no such thing as a 'good person'. People make choices, and those choices can either be good or bad." Andros frowned. "You've made a lot of bad choices, Tommy."

The green ranger flinched. "I know."

"And now you're making good ones." Andros turned to face him. "That's what matters." The red ranger stood up. "When you're ready to continue, you know where to find us."

Tommy nodded as Andros walked off. He'd return to their meeting in a bit. Right now, he needed some time alone.

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Training Room**

 **The Moon**

 **Three weeks later, Monday, Local Time, Unknown**

Exhale. Inhale through the nose for four seconds. Hold for seven seconds. Exhale for eight seconds.

Repeat three times.

When he finished the breathing exercise, Tommy pressed his palms together and closed his eyes, pushing them out in front of him slowly before beginning his kata.

" _Your hallucinations appear to come when you have a lot on your mind – in particular, they happen when you're emotional, stressed, or conflicted. Breathing techniques can help you focus so that your mind isn't cluttered, but you must also engage in an activity that is both stimulating and repetitive. Everything going on in your life is new and confusing – find something that doesn't require you to think about it."_

Tommy initially thought Andros' advice was a crock of shit. He had been anticipating some type of magic pill or something to help with T and Tom. Hearing that he just needed to breathe better and not think seemed like a bullshit solution, which is why Tommy absolutely _refused_ to admit it was actually working.

" _If that's the case, why don't I see them when Kim's around?" Tommy asked._

 _Andros' eyebrow rose. "What do you mean?"_

" _Kimberly… I never get hallucinations when I'm around her, even when we argue. Doesn't that mean your theory's wrong?"_

 _The red ranger stared at him for a long while before smiling softly. "Maybe… or perhaps it just further proves my point. If you aren't having hallucinations around her, it could mean that despite the rocky nature of your relationship, she brings you some type of peace."_

 _Tommy scowled when he felt heat creep us his neck from Andros' words._

" _Whatever," the green ranger mumbled, arms crossed over his chest defensively. "Tell me more about these breathing exercises."_

He executed a series of kicks, alternating between crescent, butterfly, and wheel kicks with ease. It was the same kata he usually did to warm up for competitions.

' _Can't even remember what it was like when all I had to worry about was my next karate competition.'_

"Seeyut hyah!" he shouted, releasing a powerful kiai as he executed four jumping hook kicks in a row. Upon landing, he began punching at the air furiously as he worked through the rest of his kata. The routine came to a close with a bow, sweat dripping off his body from the exertion.

He grabbed his water bottle from its spot against the wall and took a drink. He grabbed his towel and wiped himself off, slinging it over his shoulder before teleporting out of the training room to his quarters. He set the water bottle on his dresser and reached inside the top drawer, checking for new messages on the coin he received from Andros.

"Dammit," he swore when he saw there were none.

Grabbing a change of clothes, he headed to the shower to wash up. It was lunch time, and he didn't want to eat covered in sweat.

Three weeks had passed since the mission to take down Lord Zedd had started. Things were initially a little awkward after his scuffle with Jason. It wasn't until two days later when they met with Zordon that things smoothed over. Tommy wasn't sure if Zordon had spoken to Jason privately or what, but the red ranger had backed off considerably since that day.

"… _and that's why we're here. We need your authorization to move forward with the mission."_

 _Zordon stared down at the teens with a neutral expression._

" _ **He looks so creepy. He should smile more,"**_ _T whispered._ _ **"Can he even smile?"**_

 _Tommy ignored the younger boy and kept his eyes trained on the Eltarian._

" _YOU WANT ME TO AUTHORIZE A COVERT OPERATION THAT VIOLATES THE WISHES OF THE ELTARIAN COUNCIL?"_

 _Tommy saw Andros wince. "I understand your hesitation to agree, Zordon, but – "_

" _THE MERE FACT THAT YOU HAVE EVEN APPROACHED ME WITH THIS IDEA SHOWS YOU HAVE NO REGARD FOR ABIDING BY THE LAWS THE COUNCIL PUT IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN ORDER. IS MY UNDERSTANDING CORRECT?"_

 _The red space ranger looked away. "Yes."_

" _THAT IS VERY GOOD, ANDROS."_

 _The stripe-haired teen frowned. "What?"_

" _WE HAVE MADE LITTLE PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT WITH THE DARK EMPIRE BECAUSE WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE COUNCIL. AND WHILE THOSE RULES WERE PUT IN PLACE FOR GOOD REASON, THAT HAS ALSO MADE US PREDICTABLE." He shifted his gaze to Tommy. "WITH THE GREEN RANGER ON OUR SIDE, WE HAVE THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE."_

 _The Eltarian turned to Jason. "JASON, AS THE LEADER OF THE TEAM, I WILL ONLY AUTHORIZE THIS MISSION IF YOU ARE CONFIDENT IT WILL SUCCEED AND THAT TOMMY CAN BE TRUSTED."_

 _The green ranger watched as a range of emotions flitted across Jason's face. "With careful planning, yes, I believe this mission can succeed." He paused, jaw clenching tightly. "And I trust that our goals on this matter are aligned."_

 _Zordon regarded Jason for some time before nodding. "VERY WELL. THEN YOU MAY PROCEED WITH THE OPERATION."_

 _The space ranger smiled. "Thank you, Zordon."_

" _ANDROS, I EXPECT REGULAR REPORTS ON YOUR PROGRESS. I AM TRUSTING YOU AND JASON TO LEAD THIS MISSION, AND I WILL BE MONITORING THE SITUATION CAREFULLY."_

 _His appraised the green ranger with a cool gaze. Tommy stared back defiantly, breaking only when T elbowed him in the side._

" _ **Don't you have something to say to him?"**_ _T asked. Tommy awkwardly cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish expression._

" _Right, um…just wanna say, you know, about the whole leaving you stranded in your time warp and giving Alpha 5 a virus thing…" He paused. "I was just doing my job." Tommy glanced at the robot standing a few feet away before looking up at the Eltarian. "No hard feelings?"_

 _There was a long pause before anyone spoke._

" _YOUR ACTIONS PRIOR TO THIS MISSION ARE NOT WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT, TOMMY, BUT RATHER YOUR ACTIONS FROM HERE ON OUT," Zordon said. "YOU HAVE MY TRUST SO LONG AS IT IS EARNED."_

 _Alpha 5 tilted his head slightly. "And if Zordon trusts you, then so do I."_

 _The green ranger looked at them in surprise. Was that seriously all it took? They had to be either the most forgiving or most gullible people he'd ever met._

" _ **Probably forgiving,"**_ _T chimed in._ _ **"Seems to be a good guy thing."**_

 _Tommy wasn't sure how he felt about that. He had speech already prepared to convince Zordon to trust him and allow them to carry out the mission. It was really throwing him off that none of that was necessary._

" _ **Kim did say Zordon was a great guy,"**_ _T reminded him._ _ **"Maybe this is what she was talking about."**_

 _His expression sobered at the mention of the pink ranger. Being here with Zordon reminded him of how hurt and angry she was when he attacked him the first time. Now the same guy he nearly killed was showing him no ill will when he had every right to._

" _What is it, Tommy?" Andros asked, brows furrowed. "Is something wrong?"_

" _No, nothing's wrong, I just…" He swallowed thickly and glanced up at the Eltarian. "Thank you."_

The teen smiled slightly at the memory. Zordon actually turned out to be a pretty decent guy once he got past the fact that he was just a giant floating head in a tube. He was certainly more forgiving than Lord Zedd, though he proved to be particularly less helpful. Given his age and experience, Tommy expected the Eltarian to be more involved in their plan to take down Lord Zedd, but his approach appeared to be more hands-off than Tommy would've liked.

' _Whatever. I'll take it if it means I'll have Zordon on my side in this.'_

Zordon's blessing did ease some of the tension with the power rangers. Zhane was considerably less suspicious of him, and Jason… Well, he was still a dick as far as Tommy was concerned, but the two of them were able to at least be civil towards each other without the looming threat of another fight.

Strangely enough, the person he was having the most friction with was that goddamn Time Force ranger. She was older than him and the other rangers, probably in her mid to late twenties, and it showed in the way she carried herself. From the moment they were introduced, Jen Scotts was all work and no play – an officer to her core. In many ways, she reminded him of Scorpina.

As he turned on the hot water for his shower, Tommy chuckled at the thought of their first encounter. She maintained a minimum level of civility when interacting with the green ranger, but Tommy could tell right off the bat she didn't like him.

" _Tommy, this is Time Force officer and pink Time Force ranger Jen Scotts. Jen, this is – "_

" _Thomas James Oliver," she finished. "Lord Zedd's green ranger."_

 _Tommy held out his hand to her but retracted it when it was clear she wouldn't shake it. Despite her hard and standoffish demeanor, Tommy was very aware of how attractive Jen was. Granted, she wasn't as pretty as Kimberly, in his opinion, but she was still pretty hot for an older woman._

" _I'd shake your hand, but the last time you were this close to me, you stabbed me in the arm." Her gaze hardened. "I'd rather not take my chances."_

 _Tommy blinked in surprise. He'd forgotten all about that. "Right."._

 _She circled him slowly, eyeing him up and down with curiosity. Tommy shot Andros a confused glance, but the red space ranger's gaze was firmly on Jen._

" _You know, I thought the red rangers were always the ones in charge," the green ranger said._

 _Jen came to a stop in front of him, eyebrow raised. "I'm in charge of this team. You have a problem with that?"_

 _He grinned at her caustic tone. "Not at all. I like it when women take charge."_

 _She rolled her eyes and turned to Andros. "Seriously?"_

 _Andros sighed. "His strength is in strategy and tactics, not communication."_

" _Clearly." She frowned. "Didn't think he'd be just a kid with all the damage he's done," she murmured, turning back to Tommy. "And now I see why they never revealed his face."_

' _Never revealed my face…' Tommy frowned. 'That's what the yellow ranger said…'_

" _Katie was right. The resemblance is uncanny… I've only seen a stronger case between Alex and Wes." She shook her head. "I need to report this to Captain Logan at once."_

" _You can't," Andros said. "Not when this mission is still in the early stages. It could ruin everything."_

" _But Andros, you know how important this is to – "_

" _I know, Jen," he said softly. "But I'm asking for your patience on this. We defeat Zedd first, and then you can carry out your mission."_

" _What the hell are you two talking about?" Tommy asked. "And who's Captain Logan?"_

" _He doesn't concern you," she said sharply._

" _Doesn't sound like it," he countered. "Time Force doesn't mess with the past unless it's important. Whatever you're here for – if it involves me, I have a right to know what this is about."_

" _Tommy." The green ranger turned at Andros' cautionary tone. "Remember the task at hand. Our objective is to take out Zedd. This can wait."_

 _Tommy frowned. "But – "_

" _Let it go."_

The green ranger scowled as he scrubbed his body down. He could grudgingly admit that Andros was right. Taking down Lord Zedd required their immediate attention, so he would focus on that… for now.

But when this was all over, she was still going to answer his questions. He'd make sure of it.

' _What the hell could be so important about me that it warrants a trip to the past?'_ he wondered. He closed his eyes and let the water wash away the soap from his skin.

Tommy turned off the spray and exited the shower, drying off with a fresh towel. He walked to his bedroom and grabbed a pair of boxer-briefs and a tank top, hastily pulling them in. A quick glance in the mirror revealed the mess of dark curls on his head.

He scoffed. "God, I need a haircut." He leaned forward, fingers running over his now medium-length beard. It was starting to get itchy. "Need to shave, too..."

A knock at the door pulled his focus, and he sighed. "God _dammit_. Can't be left alone for long, can I?" he whispered as he walked over to the door.

"What?" he barked.

"General Kronon requested for you to see this, Commander," the Chromite soldier said as it held out a metal tablet. "The final sorting is due in two days. He needs you to sign off on his selection before it can be processed."

The green ranger rolled his eyes and took it from the robot. "Fine. You can leave now."

The Chromite gave a curt nod and left. Tommy walked back into his bedroom and tossed the device onto a pillow. He finished getting dressed, pulling on a pair of AGHS sweatpants and some black socks. He grabbed a pair of sneakers and put them on before heading out for lunch, grabbing the tablet from Kronon on the way out.

The green ranger groaned when he began looking through the files. Apparently, there were about seven hundred people marked as expendable. Those individuals would be shipped off to the Andromeda sector to help work in the fields and factories where most of the food and armor was shipped from. The work was backbreaking and extremely dangerous as the working and living conditions for the workers were usually well below intergalactic standards. This type of work was typically used as punishment for prisoners in the Dark Empire. It was played up politically as a method of criminal reform, but everyone knew it was basically a death sentence.

And now he was tasked with sending his own people to the same bleak fate.

"This is going to take forever," he whined.

Tommy quickly flipped through the files on the tablet, only mildly interested in what he was reading. He slowed occasionally when something caught his eye, but for the most part had no opinion on Kronon's decisions.

Until he came across a face he recognized _very_ well.

"Farkas Bulkmeier," Tommy read aloud. "Eighteen-year-old male. High school student. Petty street thug with multiple offenses. Issues with authority. No special skills that would be of use to the Dark Empire. Expendable."

He scanned Bulk's file with a sigh. Whoever filled out his file certainly wasn't wrong – Bulk would serve little to no purpose in the Dark Empire. But even recognizing that, something about this didn't feel right to the green ranger. Bulk was many things, but Tommy wasn't sure expendable was on that list.

He clicked on Bulk's file and began to edit it. "Let's see… experienced martial artist, private detective, certified genius…"

Tommy snickered as he added each skill to the list, fondly recalling Bulk's numerous attempts to prove himself to be something he clearly wasn't. The green ranger saved the file after the addition of "experienced pilot" to his skillset and removed him from the expendable list.

"Well, Bulkie, you got a lot to prove," he murmured. "Wish I could see how this plays out."

Tommy moved on to the next file, barely paying attention to his surroundings as he continued his trek to the mess hall. He paused at the sound of Lord Zedd's voice nearby.

"…to know everything is still on schedule. What's the current status on the weapons shipments?"

The green ranger ducked into a nearby corner when he realized he was outside of the throne room. He hadn't realized a logistics meeting was in progress. Those were usually held on Fridays.

"There's been no word on the transport ships, sir," General Divatox said. "Commander Maligore has not mentioned any issues with the shipment, so my guess is that the crew missed the scheduled check-in… probably sleeping on the job again. Damn Tangarians."

Tommy heard a growl in response to her comment, no doubt from General Giganis for the dig against his people.

"And the rations shipment?"

General Bansheera spoke up next. "My understanding is that it should have departed from Andromeda four days ago."

"You're not sure if it's on its way?"

"…No, sir. We haven't been able to reach the crew."

"What about the shipment of medical supplies?"

"No word, sir," General Giganis replied. "And we haven't heard from the crew or the M51 sector."

"I see." Tommy could make out the sound of the Emperor's fingers tapping against his Z staff. "Delays are expected, so that isn't out of the ordinary. Still, no contact from all of them is concerning… when is the next check-in scheduled?"

"Eight days."

More tapping sounded in the room. "We've gone longer without contact before, so for now, there is no cause for concern. If you don't hear from them at the next check-in, notify me."

"Of course, sir."

"Has there been any word from – "

The green ranger pushed off from the wall when he heard the growing clang of metal from down the hall. He gave a nod to the patrolling Piranhatrons headed for the mess hall, a smirk playing across his lips.

When the transport crews missed the next check-in, Lord Zedd would send out a small team to investigate the situation. With the comm stations down, they would have to travel there and back to relay their message about the attacks – that gave Tommy and the others just a few more weeks to do more damage.

* * *

 **Morphing Grid**

 **Pocket Dimension 17**

 **Two weeks later, Thursday, 2:07 AM**

Tommy watched as Jen circled several regions on the map on the holographic display.

"Reports have come in confirming that the Time Force police have destroyed all comm stations in the Andromeda galaxy," she said. "Katie and Wes' teams have already taken out eighty percent of the transport bays and all six weapon caches."

"Excellent." Andros moved further across the map. "What about the Whirlpool Galaxy?"

"Eric and Trip should be reporting in the next few hours on their status. When we last spoke, they had just destroyed the last comm station and they were advancing on six of the seventeen transport bays. Three additional teams had been deployed to take out the weapons caches."

"Good." The space ranger crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you heard back from Zhane and Alex?"

"Negative," Jen said with a frown. "Taking out the targets in the Machine Empire is proving to be a more… _delicate_ situation than anticipated. Sprocket is still seen as an ally of the Eltarian Empire. If there's even a chance these attacks can be traced back to us…"

Tommy sat back in his seat and sighed. Despite the overwhelming evidence he was able to gather proving Sprocket's business with Lord Zedd, no action was taken against the Machine Empire yet. Zordon reminded them that the Eltarians already had their hands full with the invasion of Earth and the rebellion on KO-35 – revealing the Machine Empire's dealings with the Emperor would only result in fighting a war on a third front.

"So, what's their plan?" the red ranger asked.

"I advised them to setup charges at the base of the smaller comm stations. They have the blueprints and know where the critical points are. They have to get in, set the charges, and get out without being seen. Once all have been placed, they can set them off all at once."

"That won't work," Tommy said.

A flicker of annoyance passed over the pink ranger's face for a brief instant. "Excuse me?"

"Your idea is good, don't get me wrong, but time isn't on our side," he said. "You'll have to move slower because we're trying to be discreet, right? It'd be better to take everything out all at once – all comm stations, weapons caches, and transport bays in one shot."

"Sprocket will be so preoccupied on figuring out what happened and the recovery effort… he won't realize that they're already gone," she realized.

"Exactly."

Jen frowned. "I'll consider it."

Tommy rolled his eyes. He knew that was the closest to a positive _anything_ he would ever receive from the Time Force ranger.

The space ranger frowned. "What about Sprocket? Should we worry about him?"

"Probably… I've seen him talking to Zedd directly during our war councils, which means he must have some form of direct communication with the Emperor. He could contact Zedd directly to notify him if we aren't careful."

"Damn." Andros ran his fingers through his hair. "And with the others busy, they can't get to him in time… we'll just have to take him out."

"Take him out?" Jen looked at him in surprise. "You mean kill him?"

"If necessary."

The green ranger raised an eyebrow in surprise. Power rangers were prohibited from killing.

"Andros… you know – "

"I'm aware, Jen. The goal will be to incapacitate him only, but if pushed…" His expression became hard. "I will do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of this mission. I'm sure you can understand that."

Tommy watched in fascination as a tense staring contest ensued between the two power rangers.

"What's the status on your side?" Andros asked the green ranger, finally breaking eye contact Jen. "Zedd is still unaware of what's going on?"

"He doesn't have a clue, but it won't take much longer," Tommy informed them. "He's already noticed delays in communication with the sectors you've hit. That's not out of the ordinary, so he's not immediately suspicious. I'd give it another month before he catches on."

Andros nodded and turned to Jen. "Continue with the current course of action. I will send a transmission to Zhane to take care of Sprocket immediately."

"Understood. I will notify Alex on the change in plans."

Andros nodded. "Tommy, I'll need you to monitor the situation with Zedd carefully. As soon as he figures out what's going, you need to – "

"Andros, you have an incoming message." It was D.E.C.A., the Astro Megaship's onboard computer.

"From who?"

"Red Earth ranger, Jason Scott." Andros' eyes widened slightly.

"Already?" Jen asked. "I thought it'd be at least a few more hours before we heard from him."

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "What's going on? Where the hell is Jason anyway? He's been gone for days now."

"He's away on…business," the pink ranger supplied.

"Business?" Tommy chuckled. "He talked a good game with his speech about knowing my every move, but now he can't even – "

"He's with Kimberly," Andros interrupted.

The green ranger's smug expression dropped. "With Kim?" He glanced nervously in Jen's direction. "I thought she was dead."

"Jen is well aware of the fact that you know Kimberly's alive, Tommy. There's no need to pretend."

"How much do you know exactly, Scotts?" he asked, now eyeing the pink ranger with a guarded expression. Knowledge of his connection to the pink ranger was supposed to be limited to the Earth team, Andros, and Zhane.

"More than you could imagine," she said ambiguously.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You're focused on the wrong thing, Tommy," Andros snapped. "Her due date was this week. Jason went to be with her when the baby was born. If he's reporting back now, that means…"

The green ranger swallowed thickly. "She had the baby?"

"I haven't checked the message yet, but Jason said he would notify us when the baby was born."

Tommy closed his eyes and leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs. His baby was here – _Ryan was finally here_ – and he finds out by way of Andros through Jason? Wasn't he supposed he to feel something when his baby came into the world?

 _God dammit,_ he should have been there. He was supposed to take Kim to the hospital, to hold her hand while she yelled at him for getting her pregnant like in the movies, to take his son into his arms and look at him for the first time…

No, he couldn't do any of that, could he? But _Jason_ could… His heart tightened at the thought of that self-righteous piece of shit holding his son.

"Tommy?" It was Andros.

"I'm fine." Much to his annoyance, tears dripped down his face and landed on his sleeve.

"Are you sure, Oliver? You don't – "

" _I said_ _I'm_ _fine!_ " he snarled, eyes flashing green. Tommy wiped harshly at his face and sniffled, regaining his composure as he rose to his feet.

He turned his back to them in order to avoid the looks on their faces – Jen's of curiosity and surprise, Andros' of concern and pity.

"Tommy…" Andros placed a hand on his shoulder. The green ranger shrugged him off and turned around, face still a little damp from his tears.

"You said Zhane's going to take care of Sprocket? Then he'll need my help to do it." He moved around Andros to the holographic display and pulled up the diagram of the Machine Empire he stole from Finster's computer.

"If you want to get to Sprocket, you'll need to head to the upper region of the Machine Empire. His home is in the lower region, but he's usually at the…"

Tommy wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore – his body felt like it was on auto-pilot. Talking strategy was second nature to him and right now, it was a much-needed distraction from the swirl of volatile emotions building in his chest.

Too bad it wasn't working.

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Training Room**

 **The Moon**

 **Wednesday, Local Time, Unknown**

Tommy took measured breaths as he twirled the nunchaku around him with practiced ease. This was his favorite kata to do. Back when his family lived in Texas, he practiced with them all the time. Since moving to California, however, he had to stop as they were prohibited in the state.

Luckily, those laws didn't apply on the moon.

"Kyah! Tuh! Seeyut! Hai! Eeyat!"

"So you make those ridiculous sounds even when you practice alone, runt?"

Tommy's concentration broke from the unexpected commentary, and he accidentally hit himself on the pelvis with the handle of the weapon.

"Ah, _shit!_ " he yelled, dropping it on the ground and rubbing his side. He glared at the grinning Tarmakian. "The hell do you want, Goldie?"

"I'm here to train." He unsheathed his sword. "You prepared to spar or are you too busy crying like a child?"

Tommy opened his mouth to let out a scathing retort, but he paused when he got a good look at the warrior.

Goldar wasn't wearing his traditional gold armor but instead an off-white tunic and brown pants, similar to what he wore at Scorpina's funeral. His clothes fit him loosely, a sign that he'd recently lost quite a bit of weight, and there were large bags under his eyes. His hair was longer and wild, as if he hadn't bothered to comb it for some time.

Tommy had heard the rumors about Goldar but didn't put much stock into them until now. Word had spread among the soldiers that Goldar had become unhinged, so consumed with finding the power rangers and making them pay for Scorpina's death that he was killing himself in the process. The green ranger hadn't seen him around lately but didn't think much of it. Seeing Goldar now, though… it was clear that all of it was true.

"Well?"

" **You can at least have the decency to give him a proper fight,"** Tom said from the sidelines. **"You owe him that much."**

The green ranger let out a deep breath and bowed. He held the nunchaku tight, one handled gripped in his left hand while the other hang over his shoulder, locked into place with his right hand. Goldar twirled his sword in the shape of an eight and growled.

Tommy jumped back when Goldar charged at him, dodging the warrior's lethal blows as best he could. He was playing defense, using the nunchaku to deflect the powerful blows instead of fighting back. The pain in Goldar's eyes made it difficult for the green ranger to give it his all.

At one point, Goldar nearly ran him through with his sword, nicking him across the chest. Without meaning to, the green ranger wrapped the chain of his nunchaku around the blade and twisted hard, using the opening to land a high kick against Goldar's throat. The Tarmakian stumbled back and clutched his neck.

"About time you fought back," he rasped. "Was beginning to think you weren't worth my time."

"Big words for a guy that just got the shit kicked out of him," the teen taunted. "Didn't realize you were so off your – _whoa!_ "

Tommy dived to avoid a blow that would have taken his head off.

"Bring it, boy."

Fifty minutes later, Tommy leaned heavily against the wall, damn near dying from exhaustion. His limbs burned and his chest felt like it was on fire as he dodged yet another blow from the Tarmakian's blade. Goldar, on the other hand, only seemed to be warming up.

"You look a little winded," he said smugly.

"I…you… _fuck you_ , monkey man," the teen panted.

Goldar roared and rushed him again, stopping a few inches short when a blinding light suddenly appeared in the room. They both turned to see a Piranhatron standing there.

"I apologize for the interruption, commanders, but the Emperor requests your presence immediately."

" _Oh, thank god_ ," Tommy whispered in relief. He rolled his eyes at the smirk on Goldar's face.

"We'll continue this another time, pup." The Tarmakian sheathed his sword. "Get a drink and then let's go."

The green ranger nodded, too worn out to come up with a smartass comment. He took a long swig of his drink, even pouring some of the water on his head to cool off. When he was finished, they both teleported to the throne room, materializing in front of a livid Lord Zedd. He turned his angry gaze on them almost immediately upon arriving.

"Goldar, ready Serpentera and the Sextans for immediate departure."

"Master?"

"I'm leaving for the KAX Union. Today."

Tommy and Goldar looked at each other in confusion. "KAX? For what purpose?"

"So I can look that weakling Gali in the face when I confront him and those other treacherous bastards about what they've done!" His visor glowed red in anger.

Goldar furrowed his brow. "What happened?"

"The Machine Empire has been attacked!"

Tommy's pulse quickened. _'What the hell…? He wasn't supposed to find out for at least a few more weeks.'_

"And you think the Eltarians did it?" the green ranger asked. "Why would they attack the Machine Empire? Sprocket is their ally – "

"Sprocket is _dead_ ," Zedd hissed. "We just received a distress signal from General Klank that Sprocket was killed by an unknown assailant in his office." The Emperor shook his head in disgust. "All of their comm stations and ships have been destroyed – Klank managed to contact me using Sprocket's direct line. From what he can surmise, the damage is extensive."

' _Shit.'_

"Goldar, I want you to take the Sextans and head straight for the Machine Empire to investigate. Deploy two smaller teams to investigate the Andromeda and Whirlpool sectors."

"You think they were hit as well?"

"I'm almost certain. All of the transport crews missed the last check-in. In light of this recent attack, I'm confident it's not a coincidence." He paused. "And I don't think the Eltarians are working alone."

Tommy fought to keep his expression neutral. "Why do you think that?"

"The Eltarians are the only ones who have the ability to launch an attack like this, but they are still allies of the Machine Empire. To turn on Sprocket and attack with no warning… Gali would only do that if he was absolutely _certain_ that Sprocket was working for me."

Goldar seemed to contemplate this. "You think there's been a leak?"

Zedd shook his head. "Unlikely… any information linking Sprocket to me would have been restricted to high-ranking personnel only. No, this information would have to have been given," he said, voice tight with anger. "We have a _traitor_." His staff strained beneath his grip. "After you meet with General Klank, I would like for you to personally head to the Whirlpool Galaxy and talk to Master Vile."

"You think he's the culprit?" Tommy asked.

"He's at the top of my list. Rita was his only daughter, and he wasn't very happy to learn that I disposed of her." He turned to Goldar. "Bring him in for questioning at once."

"As you wish." Goldar frowned. "But, my lord, we won't be able to depart immediately. The Sextans should be ready within the hour, and it will take some time to prepare Serpentera."

"Then why are you still here instead of working on that?"

Goldar straightened up. "Of course, master. My mistake."

Tommy watched Goldar leave the room. "Am I going with him?"

"No, you're coming with me to KAX. I'm going to petition for materials from the _Eknit_. With the latest shipments missing, we're low on supplies for armor and weapons."

The green ranger nodded, dread building in the pit of his stomach. "And you want me there to help with the petition?"

Lord Zedd shook his head. "If our petition is approved, I want you to oversee the delivery of the shipment to Earth." He clasped Tommy's shoulder. "The Eltarians have been targeting our transports. We need this shipment, and I can only trust one of my most skilled officers to get the job done."

"Of course, sir."

"Get whatever you need for the trip and report to the docking bay when Goldar contacts you. No delays."

"Yes, sir." The green ranger left the throne room in a panic. _'Shit. SHIT. SHIT!'_

Tommy hurried to his room, grabbing his duffel bag off the ground and tossing it onto his bed. He packed his clothes quickly, slowing down only to ensure he grabbed his official uniforms and a sweatshirt. When the last of his clothes were packed, he laid back on the bed with a groan.

"Fuck," he whispered.

" **Told you that you'd regret this,"** Tom said smugly. Tommy scowled at the older man towering over him. **"You've escalated a situation unnecessarily."** He shook his head. **"The Emperor is going to** _ **kill**_ **you when he realizes what you've done."**

A poke in his side made him look to his left. **"Tom's just being a dick. Everything's fine, dude."**

" **How can you say that?"**

" **Because nothing's happened yet,"** T pointed out. **"Zedd was going to find out – we all knew that. Yeah, it's a little earlier than we expected, but that doesn't mean the plan is ruined. You're smart, Tommy – make this work to your advantage."**

The green ranger ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "You're right… you're right." He sat up. "I can make this work."

He bit his bottom lip as he contemplated his next move. "I need to tell Andros."

T grinned. **"There you go!"**

Tom shook his head. **"You never learn."**

The green ranger teleported from the Lunar Palace to the pocket dimension in a flash of light. He stumbled slightly when he landed and nearly tripped over a rock in his haste to board the Astro Megaship.

"Andros! You here?" He wandered the halls. "Andros!"

Slight rustling was heard from the back of the ship. "Tommy?"

A few seconds later, Andros emerged from the shadows. "I was just about to contact you. What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

"Okay, but before that – I have something for you." He led Tommy further into the control room. He gestured to one of the chairs. "Have a seat."

The green ranger sat down and tapped his foot impatiently against the floor. "Andros, whatever it is can wait. This is really import – "

The red ranger appeared in the doorway with something in his hand. "Here," he said, holding the object out for Tommy to take. "Meant to give it to you a while ago."

"Dude…" Tommy snatched it from him with a scowl. "I told you it could…" He paused when he realized what he was holding. " _Oh._ "

It was a picture of Kimberly…and Ryan. She was resting in a bed wearing what looked like a hospital gown. Her forehead was sweaty with tendrils of hair plastered to it. She looked tired, but her eyes were bright and happy as she looked down at the tightly wrapped bundle in her arms. Ryan was curled against her chest. His eyes were half-open, and a tiny fist was pressed against his mouth.

An intense surge of emotions rushed through the green ranger at the sight, making it difficult for him to breathe. Tears built in the corners of his eyes as he ran his fingers over the picture again and again, gently tracing their features even as his vision blurred from his tears.

' _Jesus, he's beautiful…and so small…'_ His gaze shifted to Kimberly. _'I should have been there…'_

"That was taken shortly after Ryan was born," Andros said softly. "Given your estrangement, I thought a print that you can take with you would be a good idea."

Tommy nodded, unable to speak at the moment. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, exhaling deeply when he was done.

"This is…" he paused, voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."

Andros nodded. "Now… you said we needed to talk?"

"Uh, right… right." The green ranger stood up, wiping at his face again. He pressed the picture against his chest for a few seconds, taking a minute to breathe in the moment with his eyes closed before sliding it into his pocket.

"We've got a problem."

The red ranger listened intently as Tommy updated him on the recent development with the Empire.

"Zhane was _sure_ they took care of everyone in the building..."

"Klank's a coward. I wouldn't be surprised if he hid away in a corner until everyone left."

Andros sighed. "A petition to KAX? Do you think they'll even grant it?"

"I do," the green ranger said with dismay. "He can argue it's needed for the stability of the empire – the soldiers will need some form of protection to control the citizens or it'll be civil war. The _Eknit_ are so hard up for peace and love and shit that they'll give Lord Zedd whatever he wants to avoid that."

Tommy scowled. If Lord Zedd got his emergency shipment, the weeks of careful planning would all be for nothing. With his soldiers taken care of here, he'd have plenty of time to devote to getting things back in order in the other sectors. The workforce of the Dark Empire was massive. Comm stations would be repaired, weapons remade, ships deployed in a matter of weeks. He'd probably even throw in the added bonus of extra security to ensure an attack like this could never happen again.

They'd be right back at square one.

"We have to stop that shipment, Andros," Tommy said suddenly. "We can't give Zedd even the slightest chance to regain ground in this fight."

"I know," the red ranger said. "But he already suspects there's a traitor. The Machine Empire getting hit and then an unscheduled, special-order shipment just happens to get hijacked?" Andros shook his head. "That's too big of a coincidence. He may think it's Master Vile right now, but if we do this… he's too smart, Tommy. He's going to start piecing together that you're involved."

The green ranger frowned at the truth in Andros' words. Hijacking the shipment would undoubtedly draw suspicion. There'd be no way to explain how the Eltarians just happened to have exactly what was needed to steal a shipment that was only just approved days before. It reeked of a possible inside job, and what good would that kind of attention bring? He needed to stay off Lord Zedd's radar if he wanted to stay alive.

A flash of white caught his eye, and he softened at the part of the photo sticking out of his pocket. He retrieved it and smiled at the sleepy expression on his son's face. God, his mother would go absolutely _nuts_ from the picture alone.

Tommy blinked rapidly to fight off the building tears, stomach twisting in knots at the sobering realization that his mother would never be able to meet his son. Ryan would never get to know how sweet and loving his grandmother was or even how funny his douchebag of a grandfather could be.

' _They're dead, Tommy. They're dead because of him…because you're afraid of him,'_ he reminded himself angrily, jaw clenched. _'Kim and Ryan will be next – is that what you want? This man has killed people you loved, lied to you… nearly driven you insane. You can't back down now when you're so close to having your revenge.'_

The green ranger clenched his fist tightly, steeling himself as the words came out. "I don't care."

The red ranger's eyes widened. "Tommy…"

"It's my call, and I say we're doing it. I'll give you the information you need on the shipment once I have it. Stay within the vicinity of KAX so that I can reach you."

Andros shook his head. "You're not thinking clearly."

Tommy stared silently at the photo for a long while. "Did I ever tell you how my parents died?" He didn't wait for Andros to answer. "The truth is, I don't even really know myself. I wasn't there when it happened, because I was away on _business_." His eyes flashed green. "When I got back, I went home to check on my mother and…" He paused, hands shaking. "They'd been burned alive."

The red ranger grimaced. "Tommy, I-I'm sorry."

"Lord Zedd gave the order to kill them, even though I'd been nothing but loyal to him." His nostrils flared. "Told me to my _face_ that he'd done it, and I haven't done shit since to make him pay." Green energy danced along his forearms as he clenched his fists. "I'm not letting that son of a bitch get away with what he's done, not when we've come so far. I _can't_."

Andros sat down in the chair next to him. "This might result in your death. Are you really okay with that?"

Tommy considered this for a moment, only to chuckle when he realized how he felt didn't change a goddamn thing about the situation.

"We both knew going into this that I wasn't getting out of this alive. Whether it's Lord Zedd that kills me or the Eltarians – I've always been a dead man walking."

The red ranger averted his gaze.

"If I'm going to die, then I want it to be because I was doing everything I could to bring that piece of shit down."

Andros watched him, expression resigned. "There's nothing I can say to talk you out of this, is there?"

When the green ranger shook his head, the KOan sighed. "Very well. I'll set a course for KAX and await details on the shipment."

"Thanks," Tommy whispered. He curled his fingers around the picture and looked at it sadly. "Would you mind if…?"

"Certainly. Take all the time you need."

Tommy waited until the door closed before sagging into his seat, suddenly very tired.

" **Never took you for a martyr,"** Tom said.

"I'm not," Tommy scoffed. "Far from it, actually." He let out a shaky breath. "I don't want to die."

" **Then why go through with this stupid plan? You can still do the smart thing and go back to the Emperor. Turn this alliance with the rangers against them and use it to take them down."**

"I _could_ do that," the green ranger said softly. "But what's that famous quote? You know the one… rather die on my feet than live on my knees?" Tommy shook his head. "I've lost too much serving him, and it hasn't amounted to shit. I'm not doing that for the rest of my life… no matter how short that may be."

Tom narrowed his eyes and smirked. **"Bold words for someone who's scared shitless. You're afraid… look at you, you're trembling."**

"I _am_ afraid… but not about dying." He pressed his hands against his thighs to still them. "I want to make it out of this alive. I want to see Lord Zedd pay for killing my parents." His lower lip trembled. "I want to raise my son with Kimberly…"

Tommy swallowed the bile rising in his throat when it hit him just how much he truly wanted these things for himself.

"…but I know I probably won't live to see that happen. _That's_ what I'm afraid of."

Tom regarded him silently before sighing in defeat. **"Then you should probably tell** _ **her**_ **that."**

The green ranger blinked, surprised at his advice; but before he could question him about it, Tom was gone. His words, however, resonated with the green ranger as he stared down at the photo in his hand.

"D.E.C.A.," he said softly, thumb brushing over Kim's features as an idea came to him.

"Hello, Tommy, how may I help you?"

"I need to make a video log."

"Processing request…" He could hear the system beeping. "Video log 61268 started."

' _What the hell am I doing?'_ he thought to himself. _'I really must be losing it if I'm following Tom's advice…'_

"My name… my name is Thomas James Oliver. Green ranger and commander for the Dark Empire." He stared down at the picture in his hand. "And this message is for Kimberly Ann Hart..."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:** Here's chapter 3. Special thanks to my beta Bellarose20 for the help. Hope y'all enjoy it! And as always, all feedback is greatly appreciated!_

* * *

 **Serpentera**

 **Port Side Main Hall**

 **Near Neptune**

 **Local time, Unknown**

Tommy stared out the large window of Serpentera, convinced he'd never get used to this view. Neptune had an almost ethereal glow against the backdrop of space. Everything looked so peaceful at this distance.

' _Those idiots better have fed Zyltran like I told them to,'_ the green ranger thought suddenly with a scowl.

He had given Squatt and Baboo clear instructions on how to take care of his gnarlyth while he was out on business. The two weren't his first choice for the task, or even his tenth, but with all other personnel dealing with the aftermath of the invasion, they were his only option. Tommy told them if they messed up, he would skin them alive and turn them into rugs for his living room.

Needless to say, they appeared to take their jobs much more seriously after that.

The green ranger crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. The trip to KAX was taking a little longer than usual. They normally teleported to the docking bay near Saturn where Serpentera was kept. The enormous zord had to depart from Mars this time as it was still recharging and undergoing routine maintenance from its last mission. That added nearly 750 million miles to an already long trip.

" **It's not so bad, dude,"** T said from beside him. **"Serpentera is pretty fast, so it's only a few extra days."**

"Sorry," he murmured. "I'm just anxious."

Tommy turned his back towards his younger self. The extra time was proving to be the last thing the green ranger needed. He wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed since they left the moon, but with every passing minute, Tommy conjured up a more painful scenario of how Lord Zedd would kill him once he discovered the green ranger's role in the attacks on his territories. The worst was the dream he had last night that involved gruesome dismemberment that ended with his body parts being fed to the animals down in the pens.

Tommy reached into his front pocket and pulled out the photo of Kimberly and his son, his anxiety fading at the sight of them.

He had discovered in the moments when he was consumed by thoughts of his imminent demise that thoughts of Kim and the baby were able to calm him down. It still hurt a little to think that somewhere out there right now in the vast darkness of space, the pink ranger and his son were hiding from him. He had no idea if they were galaxies away or just over at the next planet, and that uncertainty was pure torture. All he had of them was this picture, and while it was a kind gesture for the space ranger to give it to him, it was becoming apparent to Tommy that it wasn't enough.

He needed to see his family.

" **Hey."** T grabbed his wrist. **"I know how badly you want to see them, man, but that's just not possible right now."**

"I know."

" **Just focus on the task at hand, all right?"**

The green ranger nodded and shoved the picture back into his pocket. He'd try to follow T's advice, but pushing thoughts of Kim and the baby to the back of his mind was easier said than done.

The faint sound of clicking caught his attention. Tommy relaxed when he saw the small fish-like shadow appear on the wall.

It was Anebris, the little slave Lord Zedd kept on Serpentera.

"Commander Oliver, there you are," the slave said, ears wagging.

"You were looking for me?"

The fish-looking creature nodded. "Master said because we will be near Edenoi soon, Anebris must cut Commander Oliver's hair again."

The teen groaned. He forgot he would need to have his hair cut again in order to look like a regular soldier. His hair was currently in a messy bun with an undercut, which was completely inappropriate for a soldier to have.

"Fine," Tommy said irritably. "But this time, you cut it the way I want, all right? No doing whatever you feel like."

Anebris gave a fanged smile. "Yes, Commander Oliver."

The green ranger followed behind him with a sigh, hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatshirt. The dimly lit corridor echoed with the sounds of their footsteps on the grated floor. They passed several doors lining the walls, and Tommy slowed down to a stop when he reached one that was very familiar.

Scorpina's quarters.

Tommy grabbed the door handle tightly and paused.

" **Don't do this to yourself,"** T whispered. **"She's not – "**

The green ranger turned the handle, pushing the door open with his shoulder. His heart grew heavy when he took in the room.

It was empty.

The furniture, the decorations – anything and everything that once made the room Scorpina's was gone. All there was now was a large, empty metal box.

"Commander Oliver?" It was Anebris, who was looking at the teen curiously.

"Yeah, I just…" He looked back into the room, brows furrowed. What the hell was he expecting to find? Scorpina's been dead for weeks now. Did he really think they'd leave her stuff here?

"Is Commander Oliver looking for something?"

The green ranger gently closed the door and forced a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"It was nothing."

Tommy continued following behind Anebris further into the ship, now with a heavy heart and plagued by memories of a dear friend long gone.

* * *

 **The Gates of** _ **Eknit Kai**_

 **Kalderon**

 **Three Days Later**

 **Local time, Mid-morning**

Tommy flinched when the iron gates of _Eknit Kai_ opened up. It was strange – the large marble building that once struck him as beautiful now seemed so ominous. He ran his hands over his hair, already missing the few inches that Anebris cut off. He still had a mass of curls on top of his head that were styled into a pompadour, but it was too short to tie back into a ponytail anymore.

As before, a thin man green man with long black dreads in flowing silver robes approached them. His furry tail brushed against the ground behind him.

"Emperor Zedd," he said, bowing with respect.

"Alythi," Zedd said in greeting.

The man turned surprised eyes towards Tommy. "Carlos Norris."

The green ranger raised an eyebrow for a brief second before nodding. He'd almost forgotten that he'd used Chuck Norris' name as an alias the last time he was here.

"Your arrival is unexpected. You are not scheduled to meet with _Eknit_ today."

"I know," Zedd said as he brushed past Alythi towards the building. "Come, Carlos."

Alythi flailed in alarm. "Emperor – wait!"

Tommy followed behind Lord Zedd with trepidation, an uncomfortable knot forming in his belly. They headed up the steps, past the golden double doors and straight for the room where the council was located.

"Emperor, there is already a session in progress. You can't just interrupt!"

"Strange." Zedd turned to Alythi, visor glowing red. "That's _exactly_ what I'm about to do."

All conversation stopped once they entered the room. The six leaders of the KAX Union were seated behind the large stone table like before, their stern gazes fixed on Lord Zedd. Across from them on the stone seats were representatives of various governing bodies, including the Eltarians.

' _Shit,'_ the green ranger thought with a wince. He stayed in the back of the room near the exit. _'This is not going to go well.'_

" **No shit,"** Tom said, suddenly appearing next to him.

"Emperor Zedd… Alythi, what is the meaning of this?" one of the Xybrians asked. Tommy could feel the tension in the room from their unexpected arrival.

Zedd lifted a hand when Alythi opened his mouth. "I can speak for myself."

He turned towards the Eltarian Council. "Ah, Gali. No doubt here to capitalize on the success of your underhanded tactics."

The Head Eltarian narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Emperor." This time it was one the Aquitians who spoke. "We will not ask you again."

"Gracious _Eknit_." Zedd pressed his fist to his chest and bowed. "I come to you in desperate need of your help. My empire is under attack by forces who choose to hide like cowards." He glanced in Gali's direction. "They are attacking critical resources that the citizens and soldiers of my empire need to survive. I am afraid, without your assistance, there will be bloodshed."

"Oh, please," Gali said, irritation evident in his voice. "This is just a trick to get more supplies for your corrupt agenda. _Eknit_ , I beg you, do not listen to him."

"Hold your tongue, Gali, before I cut it out for you," the emperor hissed.

The Eltarian leader stood up, eyes blazing. "You dare speak to me in such a manner?"

"I'll speak to you any way that I see fit." Zedd's grip on his staff grew tighter. "Respect is earned, Gali. Any that you had from me disappeared the moment you carried out this little plan of yours. Did you really think I wouldn't notice what you were up to?"

Gali frowned. " _What_ are you talking about?"

Zedd pointed at the Eltarian Council. " _You_ are responsible for the attacks on my empire!"

Murmurs and gasps sounded from the others in the room.

Another Eltarian stood up, face scrunched up in anger. "How _dare_ you make such an accusation?"

"Do you deny it?!" Zedd yelled.

"Yes!" Gali snapped. "Eltar has not made any attacks against the Dark Empire. We do not operate in the shadows like you."

"Liar!" Zedd hissed, electricity cackling along his body. "You have been attacking my territories for some time now, taking out areas that supply food and medical supplies to the citizens I govern. You've hit transport bays that distribute the weapons my soldiers need to maintain order and destroyed our communication stations to try and keep me from finding out."

All of the Eltarians stood at this point, their bodies glowing blue. "You will pay for these lies you – "

"ENOUGH!" a raspy voice yelled out. It was the female leader from Kalderon. Zedd and the Eltarians powered down and turned to face her.

"What proof do you have to substantiate these claims, Emperor?"

"Carlos, bring it here."

" **Dude."** T nudged Tommy in his side when he didn't move. **"That's you."**

The green ranger jumped slightly at being addressed. He pulled his jacket tighter around him and made his way down the steps to where they were all gathered. He reached inside his coat pocket, fingers grasping the bundle of papers there.

In addition to documents and photos detailing the damage the Dark Empire had sustained in recent weeks, there was a signed confession from Master Vile. Tommy knew, of course, that all of it was bullshit. The confession was only authentic in the sense that Master Vile actually wrote the letter. Its contents, however, only came after the sorcerer was beaten to within an inch of his life by Goldar, and even then, it took the threat of murdering his son, Rito, to coerce him into writing the letter.

Of course, he was to be immediately disposed of once Zedd got what he wanted anyway.

The green ranger pulled out the documents and handed them over to Zedd. "Master."

"Thank you." The emperor passed the bundle over to Alythi who brought them to the _Eknit_. "Proof of the damage done to my empire in these attacks, along with a detailed confession from Master Vile explaining his involvement in the attacks against the Dark Empire, wherein he names the Eltarian Council as his co-conspirators. He states that in exchange for his cooperation in dismantling my empire, the Eltarians promised to give him immunity in the face of any charges brought up against him during my trial."

Hushed whispers broke out at this information.

Gali's eyes widened considerably. " _None_ of that is true!"

"This is Master Vile's writing and his seal," one of the Aquitian _Eknit_ confirmed. "The letter appears to be authentic."

"But it's a lie!" one of the Eltarians shouted. "The contents of a letter are easy to fabricate. What proof do we have that Master Vile wrote this of his own free will?"

Gali nodded. "I agree with Hilor. If Master Vile dares to accuse us of this, he must do so in person."

"That will not happen," Zedd said. "As punishment for his deceit, Master Vile is being held in isolation. He is not permitted to leave the empire under any circumstances."

"A convenient excuse," Gali sneered. "Master Vile is probably already dead."

"His confession is the only reason he's still alive," Zedd snarled. "And forgive me if I fail to see the value in bringing him to the very place his co-conspirators are. How could I trust you wouldn't take him with you back to Eltar or kill him yourself to keep him from talking?"

Gali's eyes burned white. "You treacherous – "

"SILENCE." The Xybrian leader who spoke rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Your bickering is exhausting. No more of this today."

Zedd and the Eltarians looked away from being scolded.

"Emperor, while we understand the seriousness of this situation for you, the fact remains that you have interrupted our scheduled proceedings."

"But – "

The Xybrian held up his hand. "As for your request and the documents you provided today, we will discuss this in six days' time. We will let you know if we need more information from you to come to a decision. Do not return unannounced again."

Zedd's staff strained under his grip. "Understood."

"Alythi, escort Emperor Zedd and his soldier out of _Eknit Kai_ so that we may resume."

"Yes, _Eknit_."

Alythi gestured for Lord Zedd and Tommy to head up the stone steps to the exit. The emperor growled low in his throat as he left. Tommy followed behind him silently.

The green ranger was a little unnerved by what he'd seen today. Lord Zedd was usually much more composed than this – ever calm in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Today, he was outwardly angry and losing control, and while it was satisfying to watch, it was also a little terrifying.

Tom strolled up beside him. **"And just think… if he's this mad at the Eltarians and they didn't even do it… what the hell is he going to do when he figures out** _ **you**_ **were behind this?"**

A ball of anxiety built up in the teen's stomach at Tom's words. Flashes of the horrific things Zedd might do to him played in his mind. Decapitation, dismemberment, castration…

" **No, the real question is, would it change anything?"** T challenged. Tom scowled and rolled his eyes.

Tommy frowned at this. T did make a good point. He knew what could happen when he set all of this in motion – would knowing how Zedd would react now negate anything he's already done or change what he was planning to do?

"No…" he said, expression thoughtful. "I guess it doesn't."

" **Then don't worry about it."** T bumped his shoulder. **"You know better than anyone how that kinda stuff can get into your head and mess everything up. You know what needs to be done – focus on that and forget about the rest."**

The green ranger nodded and pushed down the mounting anxiety he felt. T was right. He let his fear of Zedd control him before, and look where it got him – dead parents, hallucinations, a dead friend, and Kim and his son in hiding from him.

He couldn't let it control him anymore – not when it already cost him so much.

He glared at the emperor who was walking a few paces ahead of him. "Focus, Tommy… and forget about the rest."

* * *

 **Serpentera**

 **Lord Zedd's Study**

 **Between Kalderon and Aquitar**

 **Local time, Unknown**

The green ranger hid his scowl behind his glass as he observed the pacing emperor. Tom sat quietly at his side.

"You must control your anger, my lord. Gali will take it as a sign of weakness and attempt to exploit it in front of the _Eknit_."

Lord Zedd turned on the Tarmakian. "I don't recall asking you to give hypocritical advice about anger management, Goldar," he hissed.

Tommy could clearly see the tick in the warrior's jaw even through the video feed. Zedd had demanded Goldar call in from the Sextans for an emergency meeting. The green ranger was pretty sure being yelled at isn't what Goldar thought would be on the agenda.

"You requested my presence, master. What do you need?" Goldar asked coolly.

"I will know the _Eknit's_ decision in a few days. I want you to assemble a team of my best soldiers to assist Thomas in the transport. The team should be deployed immediately for KAX in the event that the petition is approved."

The green ranger's eyes widened in alarm, and he started coughing when the water he was drinking went down his windpipe.

" **Idiot…"**

Goldar and Lord Zedd stared at him. "You all right, boy?" the Tarmakian questioned.

"Y-Yeah." He coughed once more to clear his throat. "You're sending a team to help me?"

"Did you think otherwise?" the emperor scoffed. "You're powerful, but even you can't do this alone. An attack could happen from any direction – you'll need others to cover you."

The green ranger cursed under his breath. "Of course," he said. "Who will be part of this team and how many?"

Tommy hoped no more than fifty would be joining. He could take out most of them fine, but if the more skilled soldiers were involved, he might have a problem disposing of them.

"Kronon and his squad should be sufficient," Goldar said. "We won't have a lot of time for prep, so it'd be easiest if the team consisted of soldiers that have already served under you."

' _Shit,'_ the teen swore mentally.

Outwardly, Tommy tried to play it cool, but his mind was racing over what his next step would be. He had no doubt he could take out the soldiers – his powers gave him an edge they couldn't overcome.

But killing his own soldiers wasn't part of the plan.

It wasn't that he felt some moral obligation to them. He wasn't particularly close to any of them and hadn't really invested much time in building personal relationships. The green ranger had, however, grown a deep appreciation for his soldiers, especially his general Kronon. He loathed to admit it, but they saved his ass more times than he could count out on the battlefield.

"Makes sense."

The emperor turned to Goldar. "Make the necessary arrangements to get them here right away. I don't want a moment's delay if the shipment is approved."

"Yes, my lord." Goldar's video feed went out, leaving Tommy and Lord Zedd in silence.

Tommy cleared his throat. "Do you really think the _Eknit_ will approve your petition?"

"I do, and when it happens, we must be ready." His visor glowed red. "The Eltarians have already shown they will strike against us if given an opening. I don't want to give them a chance to mobilize and attack."

The green ranger sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Right."

Zedd visibly calmed down and placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Have faith, Thomas. We will get what we need…and then we will take care of the Eltarians. What they did will not go unpunished."

A shiver ran down the green ranger's spine. "What exactly are you planning to do to them?"

The emperor squeezed his shoulder. "One battle at a time, Thomas." He headed for the door. "Get some rest."

The teen watched the emperor exit the room with a pensive expression.

" **He's going to start an all-out war against the Eltarians,"** Tom said.

"We don't know that for sure."

" **Quit** _ **lying**_ **to yourself,"** Tom growled, rising to his feet. **"You're so focused on taking down Lord Zedd, you're not even trying to pay attention to the collateral damage."** He stood up angrily. **"You already got Sprocket and Vile killed. Now Zedd's gonna go directly after the Eltarians and then what? None of this will even matter."**

"That's not true," Tommy argued weakly.

" _ **Yes, it is**_ **."** Tom crossed his arms over his chest. **"Zedd and the Eltarians** _ **hate**_ **each other, but there were lines they didn't cross. You and those idiot rangers crossed them, and all hell's about to break loose."**

Tommy shook his head. "If I take him out, none of that will happen," he whispered.

" **But you're** _ **not**_ **going to take him out,"** Tom said coldly. **"You're going to fail, Tommy. You're going to fail hard, and you're gonna get yourself and everyone else killed in the process."**

The green ranger clenched his fists but said nothing.

" **Hope it was worth it."** The older version of him disappeared, leaving the green ranger alone in the room.

Tears stung at his eyes at the thought that maybe Tom was right. What if all of this was for nothing and he ended up making things worse than before?

The fear and anxiety he had worked to push down earlier came back full force, making him feel sick.

Tommy wiped his eyes and scowled. "No – _no_."

Tom was trying to get in his head – again. He _wanted_ Tommy to mess up the mission. There was no way the green ranger was letting that happen.

The teen clenched his fist tightly. "I won't fail." An image of Kim and their son flashed in his mind's eye.

"I can't."

* * *

 _ **Eknit Kai**_

 **Kalderon**

 **Six Days Later**

 **Local time, Early Morning**

"Announcing the Emperor of the Dark Empire, Lord Zedd, and his companion, Carlos Norris."

The two headed down the stone steps to the table where the _Eknit_ were seated. As expected, the Eltarians were also in attendance.

"We will make this quick in order to stay on schedule," the female Aquitian of the _Eknit_ said. "On the matter of the Eltarians' involvement in the attacks on the Dark Empire, our judgment is inconclusive."

Zedd growled. " _Eknit_ , please – "

"Silence, Emperor," she snapped. "Though the letter bears Master Vile's writing and his seal, we cannot verify the authenticity of the contents of his confession. We have no way of knowing if he wrote this of his own free will or by means of coercion without speaking to him in person, which is not possible.

"Furthermore, _Eknit_ does not have the authority to judge cases like this. Attacks between territories falls under Intergalactic Law, not the distribution of resources, which is what _Eknit_ is solely responsible for. Consequently, this information has no bearing on our decision today, and we recommend taking this to the courts if you wish to pursue this matter further."

Tommy could see the smirk on Gali and the other Eltarian leaders' faces.

"That being said, regardless of who was behind these attacks or why, the fact remains that you have suffered a major loss that, unless rectified immediately, will be the catalyst for an outbreak of violence in your territories. Our mission as _Eknit_ is to do what we can to maintain peace across the universe, so we will grant you your petition."

Tommy swallowed hard at this. _'Dammit.'_

Beside him, Tom shook his head, a smug expression on his face.

She held up a hand when the Eltarians began to protest. " _Eknit_ will provide you with a shipment of the requested supplies. Your request for enough resources for three Kalderian years has been reduced to two."

The emperor bowed. "Thank you, _Eknit_."

The Aquitian nodded.

" _Eknit_ , if I may?" Gali asked.

She waved him forward. "You may speak."

"Our last scheduled meeting here resulted in signing a treaty prohibiting access to your resources from both of our empires. How is this not in direct conflict with that?"

"The resources requested by Emperor Zedd are not for war. The bulk of the shipment is food and medical supplies."

"And the rest?" Gali pressed.

"We have provided him with enough raw material to create and power non-lethal weapons needed for his soldiers to enforce order. The specifications of those weapons were provided to us so that we could see exactly what the materials would be used for. He does not have enough to create anything lethal."

Zedd turned to Gali. "Any more questions, Gali?"

Tommy knew if the emperor could smile, he'd be wearing a shit-eating grin right about now.

"No," the Eltarian ground out.

"Emperor." The Aquitian held out a folded piece of paper to him. "Here is the information about the shipment. We respect your concerns about the Eltarians' possible involvement in the attacks, so we took precautions and wrote the information down instead of stating it aloud so that they might act on it."

Zedd took the paper from her. "Thank you, _Eknit_. Your understanding is always appreciated."

"That is all for today's meeting. Alythi, clear the room."

Alythi ushered everyone up the stairs and out of the room until they were standing outside of the gates of _Eknit Kai_.

" **Well, that didn't go how we wanted,"** T said. The green ranger rolled his eyes.

"There you are." Tommy turned to see the Head Elder of the Eltarian Council behind him. "Forgive me, Carlos, we have not spoken since your arrival," Gali said, arms crossed over his chest. "Still enjoying being the emperor's pet, I see."

The green ranger's jaw tightened considerably with the effort to control his powers. "Elder Gali, always a pleasure."

The pale man glared up at him. "When you came last time, I was curious as to why Lord Zedd would bring a human child to such an important meeting." His eyes narrowed. "Now that he's done it again… I am suspicious."

The teen gave a tight smile. "I believe the only one to be suspicious of here is you, Elder Gali. Your attacks on our empire has cost us dearly."

The Eltarian laughed. "My dear child, I think we both know that isn't true." He stepped closer to Tommy. "You're much too young to be his lover, unless his tastes have changed recently."

The green ranger blanched at the thought and resisted the urge to vomit all over the Eltarian.

"And your rank is too low to be one of his top soldiers, like that beast Goldar." He peered at Tommy curiously. "You're no one important, but you're always at his side. Why?"

The teen stared down at the man for a long while. He didn't feel as much animosity towards the Eltarian as he did Lord Zedd, but he still couldn't stand his ass either.

"You would have to ask the emperor, I'm afraid. It's just as you said… I'm no one important." He smiled teasingly before allowing his eyes to flicker green with his energy.

Gali stepped back, eyes wide. "Y-You… your eyes – "

Tommy forced his face into a look of confusion. "My eyes?"

Gali glared at him, eyes searching but clearly finding nothing. "For a moment, they just – "

"Thomas!" Lord Zedd yelled from a few feet away. "Come now, we're leaving."

"Yes, Emperor." The green ranger looked down at Gali once more. "Until we meet again, Elder Gali."

He stepped around the Eltarian and headed towards Lord Zedd, able to feel Gali's piercing gaze on his back.

" **You shouldn't have done that,"** Tom said angrily at his side. **"That was incredibly reckless revealing your identity to him."**

"As far as he knows, it was a trick of the light," the teen mumbled under his breath.

" **Still… that was super risky, dude…"** T said while looking back nervously at the Eltarian.

"Maybe."

Tommy walked alongside Lord Zedd as they headed back to Serpentera.

"Here." The emperor gave him the paper with the details of the shipment. "You are only to share these details with your team. They should be arriving to Serpentera in a few hours – make your plans quickly. I want this shipment leaving KAX as soon as possible."

"Yes, my lord."

Zedd was right – he needed to make plans quickly, and he knew exactly where to start.

* * *

 **Serpentera**

 **Commander Oliver's Quarters**

 **Between Kalderon and Aquitar**

 **Local time, Unknown**

" _What is it, Tommy?"_

" _An emergency shipment of weapons, medical supplies, and food will be leaving in five days from Xybria at first twilight."_

" _Xybria? They don't usually ship from there."_ There was silence for some time before the space ranger responded. _"Which bay?"_

" _Zelta sector. Zedd accused the Eltarians of sabotage. My guess is they chose to deploy from Xybria in case the Eltarians decide to attack."_

" _Which means once we head exactly for the right location, he'll figure out you're behind this."_

The green ranger ran his fingers through his hair. _"Not necessarily. There will be two teams assigned to the shipment. One aboard the transport ship itself to protect the shipment, and the other in the surrounding convoy."_

" _You think he'll suspect one of them?"_

" _He will once I ID them as the traitor,"_ Tommy said.

" _And when they point the finger at you instead?"_

" _They won't be able to. I plan to be the only survivor."_

He could feel the mix of emotions coming from the KOan through their connection. _"I see."_

" _You tail the convoy, and I'll handle the ship crew. I'll give you the signal to beam aboard the ship when I have the all-clear."_

Andros sighed heavily. _"I still don't like this."_

" _Aren't you power rangers supposed to believe anything is possible and all that? Where's that grating optimism, Andy?"_ The green ranger grinned when he felt the space ranger bristle at the nickname.

" _We will rendezvous tomorrow after your departure from Xybria. I will allow the ship some time to travel before intercepting its course so as not to rouse immediate suspicion."_

Tommy nodded. _"Sounds good."_

" _Talk to you – "_

" _Andros, wait!"_ The green ranger interrupted.

" _Yes?"_ Tommy could imagine the disgruntled look on the younger teen's at being yelled at telepathically.

He swallowed thickly. _"The thing I asked you to give Kimberly… did… has she –?"_

" _I delivered it to her as requested, but I cannot answer as to whether or not she has watched it."_

Tommy swore softly under his breath. _"Right. Thanks."_

" _Andros out."_

The green ranger tossed the coin onto his bed with a sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair anxiously.

" **You still have time to change your mind."**

The green ranger glanced in Tom's direction. The older man was looking up at him from his perch on the edge of the bed.

" **Do the right thing, Tommy. Be smart."**

The teen bristled at Tom's words. "I ever tell you how much I hate that phrase? 'Do the right thing'. I'm not even really sure what the hell the right thing _is_ anymore." He frowned, hands on his hips. "Thought I had a good idea before, but now? It just seems like something people say to try to get me to do whatever they want."

Tom glowered in response but said nothing.

"I don't give a damn about doing the right thing. I'm doing what needs to be done to protect my family," the green ranger said sharply. "If you have a problem with that, you can always leave."

Several seconds of silence passed without a word from the older man. Tommy chanced a glance in his direction only to find that he was gone.

"Hm. Didn't think that'd actually work."

He walked over to his dresser and rummaged through the top drawer for a clean tank top, a pair of boxers, and some sweatpants. The photo of Kim and their son stuck out beneath some clothes tucked away in the far corner, and he gently removed it from its hiding place. The green ranger absently ran his fingers over their faces.

" _My name… my name is Thomas James Oliver. Green ranger and commander for the Dark Empire." He stared down at the picture in his hand. "And this message is for Kimberly Ann Hart..."_

He put the picture down on top of the dresser and closed the drawer harder than was necessary. Tomorrow was the day they put their plan in action – that video was the last thing he needed to be thinking about right now.

Tommy headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He stripped off his clothes and climbed in under the spray. The teen closed his eyes as the hot water flowed across his skin.

" _You're probably wondering what this is… no doubt glaring the at screen wondering what the hell I'm up to." He chuckled lightly. "The truth is I'm not even really sure."_

He picked up his washcloth, lathering it up heavily with soap. As he scrubbed his body down, Tommy tried to focus on what needed to be done in preparation for tomorrow.

" _The last time we spoke wasn't the way I wanted to leave things between us. And with everything going on, I just need to talk to you. Even if it's through this stupid video."_

He shook his head angrily. "Focus, Tommy," he chided himself. "You can't fuck this up."

He needed to run through the logistics again of taking out all of those soldiers in such a limited space. It didn't matter what the size of the transport ship was – using his full power was out of the question unless he wanted to blow a hole in the ship and kill everyone onboard.

" _I-I'm not sure I'm going to survive this, Kimberly, and in case I don't – " His voice hitched. "I just want you to know that I did everything in my power to protect you and our son."_

The torrent of emotions that he felt when he made the video surged within him then, nearly overwhelming him from their intensity. He stepped under the spray to rinse off and ran a hand over his face.

"Need to scope out the area before we launch," he reminded himself in an effort to push back thoughts of Kimberly.

" _That I fought until the very end for the only family I have left… a-and that I love you."_

The green ranger shut the water off with a growl, nearly snapping the hot water handle in half in the process. He quickly dried off and put on his boxers. Tommy pulled his sweatpants on just as a knock sounded at the door. Mercifully, it pulled him from his thoughts of the pink ranger.

"Come in."

Soft clicking let him know that the person on the other side was Anebris.

"Hello, Commander Oliver," the small creature said. "Dinner is ready."

"Thank you, Anebris. I'll be there shortly."

The creature waddled away down the hallway, its clicks echoing down the hall.

The teen tugged on his tank top and sighed. He took one last look at the picture of his son and Kimberly on the dresser before heading down towards the mess hall.

Maybe some food would help clear his mind.

* * *

 **Southwest Shipping Bay, Sector Zelta**

 **Xybria**

 **Five Days Later**

 **Local time, First Twilight**

"That's the last of it."

Tommy nodded. "Close the cargo hold. We need to get moving now."

"Yes, Commander," the soldiers said in unison before heading for the ship.

The green ranger held back a yawn. He'd been up for roughly two hours now per Lord Zedd's request to make sure all of the agreed upon supplies were loaded onto the ship. Truthfully, he hadn't been paying much attention – it was never going to make it to its destination, so did it really even matter?

Tommy folded up the inventory list and placed it in his inner coat pocket. A young Xybrian who worked on the loading bay approached him.

"That should be everything requested, Mr. Norris."

"It is," Tommy said. He shook the man's hand. "Thank you."

The green ranger turned and headed for the ship.

"Safe travels!" he heard the Xybrian yell behind him. Tommy lifted a hand in acknowledgment.

Once onboard the ship, he took his seat and strapped in. A loud blast sounded signaling the engines firing up.

"Preparing for launch," came the gruff voice of the pilot, Aytrew, over the intercom.

The ship shook vigorously as it pushed off the ground. It rattled and groaned as it backed out of the loading bay and headed up out of the Xybrian atmosphere.

Tommy reached into his pocket and grasped the coin there. He closed his eyes, pushing his energy to channel a connection to Andros.

" _We're leaving now,"_ he projected to the KOan. _"Be ready."_

It felt like hours passed before he finally heard Andros respond. _"Headed your way now."_

Their ascent finally stabilized once they broke through Xybria's atmosphere. The ship leveled out and slowed down to a comfortable speed once it was in outer space, providing a smooth ride as they made their way to their destination.

About an hour into the trip, Tommy began tapping his foot impatiently against the floor. He hadn't heard back from Andros yet, and nervous energy was building up inside of him.

"Commander?" Kronon asked concerned. "Is everything all right?"

The teen gave a tight smile. "Yeah, I just hate flying," he lied. "I'm gonna walk around a bit – see if I can take the edge off."

He got up and headed deeper into the ship, ducking inside one of the empty bathrooms he found along the way. He turned on the faucet, cupping some water in his hands and splashing his face.

" **Having doubts?"** Tom asked.

"No," Tommy snapped. "Just want to get this over with. The wait is killing me."

He hissed when he felt a burning sensation against his thigh. He reached for it and found the coin from Andros glowing.

" **Looks like the wait is over."**

He ignored Tom's pissy tone and clasped the coin tightly. _"Yeah?"_

" _We're in position, but we're going to have some trouble. There are about twenty-five ships in the convoy surrounding the shipment. Zhane and I can take out the ships on the sides, but once we do that, the ones in the back will come after us. We can handle them, but if the guards in the front come to assist, we'll be overrun."_

The green ranger nodded. _"I have an idea that might work. Just watch for my signal."_

" _Which is?"_

" _You'll know it when you see it."_

Tommy left the bathroom and headed for the cockpit at the front of the spaceship. The metal door slid open when he approached, causing the six soldiers there to turn to him in surprise. He took off his coat, leaving him in just his long-sleeved fitted black shirt and khaki slacks.

"Is the ship on autopilot?"

"Yes," Aytrew confirmed. "Commander… is something wrong?"

The green ranger reached behind him for the Dragon dagger tucked in the waistband of his slacks.

"Yes."

Tommy removed his dagger and embedded it in the chest of the soldier closest to him, piercing his heart. The soldier slumped dead in his seat, green liquid trailing from his wound.

Shocked cries rang out at his attack, and Tommy used the chaos to his advantage, taking out three more soldiers in the same manner. An angry solider charged at him with his sword, blind rage on his face. Tommy grabbed his arm and flipped him over, driving his dagger into his throat and twisting hard.

Aytrew, the pilot and only remaining soldier, held tight to his sword as the green ranger approached. His eyes darted between Tommy and the control panel. Anticipating what he was about to do, Tommy threw his dagger at the soldier, piercing his arm just as he reached for one of the buttons.

Tommy moved behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. "Try to alert the others again, and I will kill you right where you stand."

Aytrew nodded in understanding.

Roughly, Tommy shoved the wounded soldier into the pilot's chair. He removed his dagger from his arm, pulling a choked scream from the pilot.

"You're familiar with defense systems, correct?"

"Y-Yes," Aytrew stuttered.

He pointed at the ships directly in front of them. "Take them out."

"We don't have any – " His head flew back when Tommy punched him in the face.

"I studied this system's specs, Aytrew. I know when you're lying to me. This system has missiles and lasers that can be fired at an oncoming threat."

Aytrew spit out some blood onto the floor. "This is a carrier ship, not a war vessel. The weapons aren't as powerful."

"But they're enough to get the job done."

"Get _what_ done?" he asked. "We're surrounded! As soon as you attack them, the others will come and stop you."

"That's what I'm counting on." He pressed the dagger to Aytrew's throat. "Now do it."

The pilot charged up the weapons system, taking aim at the ships in front of them. His hand trembled over the button to fire before balling up into a fist.

He turned to Tommy, eyes defiant. "I would rather die than betray my emperor."

The green ranger sighed. "Fine. I don't need you anymore anyway."

Tommy stabbed Aytrew in the space where his neck and shoulder connected, twisting the blade. He removed his dagger and kicked the pilot out of the chair onto the floor where he curled up into a ball. The green ranger took the now vacant seat and aimed at the other ships, mimicking Aytrew's movements to control the ship's defense systems. He sent out a torrent of missiles and lasers, taking out eleven ships in under five minutes.

"There's your signal," he whispered under his breath. It was a risky move attacking them, but he was betting on the soldiers not firing back to keep from damaging the shipment.

Tommy jumped when alarms suddenly sounded in the cockpit. Next to him on the ground, Aytrew coughed and collapsed to the floor, the blood from his fingers smudged against the panel. He had used the last bit of life in him to trigger the security system.

"Dammit," the teen hissed. He could hear the footsteps of the approaching soldiers and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.

He ducked beneath the panel and grabbed the Falchion sword that he secured there earlier. Tommy knew going in that the chances of this plan going through with no problems was slim, so he planted the sword in the cockpit while everyone was preoccupied with moving the supplies onto the ship.

The door to the cockpit suddenly slid open, and the soldiers piled in.

"Aytrew, what – " Kronon paused as he surveyed the room. His eyes landed on Tommy. "Commander?"

The green ranger held the Dragon dagger in an icepick grip, while he spun the Falchion sword in a figure eight motion, ending with it pointed directly at Kronon. Blood dripped from the dagger onto the ground.

Kronon's eyes grew hard. "It was you. You betrayed our emperor."

" _Your_ emperor," Tommy snarled. "He betrayed me – consider this payback."

Kronon and the soldiers took defensive stances, weapons drawn.

"I do not wish to hurt you, Commander," the general said. "But it is my duty to protect the emperor and his interests."

"I don't want to kill you either," Tommy said sincerely. "That being said, leaving you alive isn't really an option." He gripped his dagger tighter. "Just know it was nothing personal."

Kronon roared and ran at him full speed, tackling the green ranger to the floor. Tommy punched him hard in the side of the head and kicked him off, using his powers to send Kronon flying across the room.

The remaining soldiers ambushed him, pinning him down to the ground as they kicked, punched, and stabbed at him. The green ranger growled and called on his powers, pushing them off with an incredible surge of energy. He rushed the nearest soldier like a force of nature, striking her across the abdomen and splitting her open so that her insides fell out. Another two soldiers approached from behind, and Tommy turned swiftly, letting them impale themselves on his sword. He pulled his sword out just in time to block a fatal blow and land a spinning kick into Kronon's chest, making him fall back to the floor.

The fight continued on for what felt like hours, bodies piling up in the cockpit as Tommy took them down one-by-one. Sweat and blood dripped down his forehead as he slaughtered them, his face and torso now covered in blood. He was bruised and battered and so goddamn tired, but he knew he had to keep pushing forward.

"Agh!" he yelled and gripped his side in agony. One of the soldiers had managed to shoot him with a laser gun, and it hurt like a son of a bitch.

Tommy fell to his knees and groaned, his weapons clattering on the ground. The soldier who shot him, Yvresna, stood over him with his gun pressed against Tommy's temple.

"Remove your gun, and I'll make sure your death is as painless as possible."

The soldier jabbed the weapon hard against Tommy's skull. "You traitorous bastard."

"I've been called worse." Tommy wheezed out a laugh. "Last warning, this will get _nasty_ …"

"Shut your mouth, human trash. I always knew your kind couldn't be trusted."

"Trash, huh?" The green ranger's eyes flashed with anger. "Y'know, Yvresna. I never liked this whole alien superiority shit you guys got going on – I mean I really, _really_ don't like it. So, I want you to know… I don't feel bad at all about what's going to happen next."

"The only thing that's going to happen is your death." Yvresna powered up the gun for another shot.

"For the emperor!" he yelled.

Thinking quickly, Tommy grabbed his Dragon dagger and ran it through Yvresna's knee, ripping a scream from the soldier. He grabbed the Falchion sword and swung high, slicing off the soldier's arm right above the elbow in one pass.

Yvresna fell to his knees, the part of his arm that was still attached cradled to his chest. Tommy didn't give him too much time to process what had happened before decapitating him.

The green ranger climbed up to his feet and sighed, eyes closed as he leaned heavily against the control panel. He tensed when he felt cool metal press against his throat, eyes opening to connect with a furious Kronon.

"I figured it was best to let them tire you out before I made my move. You're too powerful at full strength."

Tommy chuckled through a wince. "That's smart, Kronon… and a little unfair. I'm surprised by you."

"As I am by you." The general shook his head and pushed down on the commlink on the control panel. "Convoy team, come in. We have a situation on the transport ship. The – "

"They're dead, Kronon," Tommy interrupted. "All of them are dead."

"How?" Kronon pressed the sword into Tommy's throat, piercing the skin. "How could you do this to them?"

The confusion and anger in Kronon's voice was expected. The hurt and sadness was not, and it made the green ranger feel uneasy.

Tommy knew Kronon took his duty as a soldier seriously and that loyalty was something his people valued highly. He couldn't imagine the mindfuck the guy was going through right now.

"You wouldn't understand."

" _Try me_ ," the general growled. "I have fought beside you, put my life on the line to protect you. You owe me that, Commander."

Tommy grit his teeth and swore under his breath. "Kronon, I – "

The door to the cockpit opened, and Jason and Andros entered.

"…out what the hell is taking him so long," the red Earth ranger said. "He was supposed to – _holy shit!_ "

Kronon's eyes widened, and he turned back to Tommy. "You're working with _them?!_ "

The green ranger used the distraction to grab Kronon's wrist, holding his arm in place as he rammed his forearm into the general's elbow, breaking it. Kronon screamed, dropping his sword to the ground.

Tommy took his dagger and shoved it into the general's stomach, twisting the handle until he dropped to his knees. He pressed a hand over Kronon's heart, a green glow building up in his palm. Kronon looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Forgive me," he whispered.

"TOMMY, NO!"

The green ranger released a concentrated burst of energy, blowing a hole through Kronon's chest. Blood and tissue flew onto the floor, and Kronon fell to the ground in a heap, eyes still wide open in shock.

Tommy grunted when he was shoved hard into the control panel.

"You didn't have to do that!" Jason growled.

"Yes, I did!" Tommy snapped. "He had to die. They _all_ had to die, otherwise they would have told Zedd everything."

"But we don't – "

Tommy grabbed Jason by his suit and slammed him against the wall.

"Listen very carefully, Jason," he sneered. "I will kill as many people as I have to as long as Zedd is one of them. If you have a problem with that, then you need to get the _fuck_ out of my way."

He dropped the red Earth ranger and turned, wincing in the process from the strain on the wound in his side.

"Jason," Andros said softly as he walked over to them. "Killing is not in your nature, but there are instances where it is required. Tommy did what he had to do."

The red Earth ranger glared at Andros and walked away, hands on his hips. His shoulders slumped as he stood over Kronon's dead body.

"So… what now?" he asked tiredly.

"Now, you take the ship."

"And do what with it?" Jason asked.

The green ranger shrugged. "Take the shipment. Blow it up. I don't care. Just get rid of it and the bodies." He turned to Andros. "Is the convoy destroyed?"

"Yes. Zhane is standing by in the Astro Megaship in case reinforcements come. We aren't sure if they were able to send out an SOS before we attacked." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatever our next move is, we must do it fast."

"Right." Tommy put his weapons down on the floor. "I need you to beat me up."

Andros frowned. "What?"

"There are escape pods in the engine bay. I'm going to take one of those back to Serpentera, but I can't go back in this condition."

"You want it to look like you were attacked in the hit," Andros surmised. "But you're already hurt. Why do we need to do more?"

"This is not enough damage to justify me abandoning my squad. Zedd will see right through this." He lifted his shirt to make his point. Outside of the shot Yvresna took, he only had some scrapes, moderate gashes, and heavy bruising.

"I have to be seriously injured in order for abandoning my squad to be acceptable."

Jason cracked his knuckles. "Don't have to tell me twice. I'll always take up the chance to kick your ass, even if it's staged."

"You might as well – it's the only time you'd actually win in a fight against me." Tommy held up a hand. "Just no crotch shots. Wouldn't want to deprive any ladies the chance to ride the – "

A loud crack sounded in the room when Jason's fist connected with Tommy's jaw. The green ranger stumbled back, resisting the urge to punch him back.

Jason came at him aggressively, punching and kicking him at full strength. Tommy grunted from the impact, dropping to the floor when the flurry became too much. A hard kick to his stomach made him cry out in pain, and another to his jaw rattled his skull.

' _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,'_ he thought, grunting from another kick that landed on his thigh.

"Jason." It was Andros. "Jason…enough!"

The hits stopped and the red Earth ranger backed away from Tommy's crumpled form. The green ranger coughed out some blood onto the floor.

"Still hit like a bitch," he rasped, jaw hurting like hell.

"Be quiet," Andros snapped. "Help me lift him."

Tommy groaned when they pulled him up and placed him in the pilot's chair. "Weapons…" he mumbled. "Get my weapons." He searched around for Aytrew's body. "And his dagger."

They did as he requested and picked him up again, following his instructions on how to get to the escape pods. Andros handed him over to Jason and set the pod on a course to Serpentera. He placed the weapons on the floor of the small spacecraft once the route was set.

"Let's get him in."

Tommy moaned in pain when they placed him in the seat. Jason strapped him in securely and grabbed the oxygen mask from the side compartment, placing it over his mouth.

"You're going to need serious medical attention for your injuries," Andros said. "Contact me when you can so we can discuss the next steps of the plan."

Tommy nodded in understanding. Jason closed the door of the pod and pushed the deploy button, sending it out into space.

The green ranger reached down near his feet for Aytrew's dagger. He lifted it up and pointed it towards his left side at the area right above his pelvis.

" **What are you doing?"** he heard T ask in his head.

"Something I'm _really_ gonna regret." Tommy gripped the blade handle and took a deep breath. "One… two… three!"

He rammed the knife into his abdomen and screamed, vision going hazy before he blacked out from the pain.

When the green ranger came to, he groaned, eyes burning from the bright light shining down on him.

"How bad… damage?"

"…extensive, master. Serpentera… not equipped… help Commander Oliver."

Tommy could barely make out the conversation around him, catching only every few words.

"…best could do… need serious medical…

A hacking cough ripped from the green ranger's throat, blood staining his teeth and lips. "T-Trap… we… ambushed… Aytrew…"

"…still, Commander Oliver… get you help…"

Tommy wheezed as he took in a deep breath. Fuck, why was it so hard to breathe?

He winced when he felt a prick in his arm, and suddenly all of the pain started to ebb. His eyelids grew heavier with each passing second, and the voices began to fade into the background.

"…should prevent further damage… need hospital… human anatomy…" The snippets of conversation were the last words he heard before Tommy's eyes finally fluttered closed, the last dregs of consciousness leaving him.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally woke up, but mercifully, he was no longer in any pain.

Or on Serpentera.

The green ranger blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting to the bright white lights shining down on him. He rubbed his eyes, frowning when he realized he was lying in a medical bed hooked up to several machines.

Tommy pushed himself up so that his back was resting against his pillow. "The hell is going on…?"

He jumped when the door to his room opened. A dark-skinned woman with black hair entered the room with a folder in her hands.

"Ah, you're awake! How're you feeling?"

"Who the hell are you?" His eyes narrowed. "Where am I?"

"I'm Casile. I've been in charge of your recovery ever since you were admitted." She shook her head. "We weren't sure how long it would take for your injuries to heal."

The green ranger grimaced when he looked at his body. His arms, chest, and legs were wrapped in bandages, and a large gauze pad was taped over his lower abdomen. His jaw felt sore, and there was a dull ache around his right knee.

' _Fucking Jason,'_ he thought angrily.

"How long have I been here?"

"Three days," she said as she moved closer to him. "I need to check your vitals."

' _Three days?'_ He frowned when the doctor wrapped the cuff around his upper arm to take his blood pressure. _'Who brought me here? What the hell happened with the shipment? Where's Zedd?'_

Question after question raced through his mind as he stared straight ahead, a light shining into his eyes so she could check his pupils. Tommy sighed when she was finished and scratched gently at the five o'clock shadow that had grown in while he was asleep.

"Everything looks good, Tommy. You should be fully healed in after one more day of treatment at this rate."

The green ranger froze, the hairs on the back of his neck rising when he realized how she addressed him.

"How do you know my name?"

He didn't have any ID on him, and Zedd knew to use his alias due to the bounty on his head. If she knew his name… did that mean she knew he was the green ranger, too?

She ignored his question and pulled up the sleeve of her coat, revealing a peculiar looking watch. She pressed a button at the base of the device.

"He's awake. You can come now."

Tommy's eyes flashed green as he grabbed her wrist "Who were you talking to? What the hell is going on?"

A bright red light flashed in the room suddenly, and Tommy found himself staring at the back of a gray uniform. The person's hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, blond and black strands mixed together.

"Andros," the green ranger said relieved, powering down at the sight of someone he recognized.

The space ranger turned around. "Hello, Tommy." He gave a slight smile. "Welcome back to KO-35."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:** Hey there! I know you all have been (im)patiently waiting for this chapter to be posted - here it is! Thanks again to my beta, Bellarose20, for the help in reviewing this chapter._

 _Just a note - this chapter is a bit intense, so fair warning. And as always, all feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Undisclosed Location**

 **KO-35**

 **Local time, Late Morning**

Tommy stepped out of the hovercar with his duffel bag in tow. The red space ranger sat on a large rock a few feet away, and to Tommy's surprise, dressed in normal clothes for once. Aside from Andros, there were no signs of life or even buildings in the immediate area.

"Glad you could make it," Andros said, standing with a light smile. He paid the driver the fare and sent him on his way.

"Follow me."

It'd been two days since Tommy had woken up in the hospital. Apparently, Anebris had brought him to KO-35 to treat his injuries as it was the closest planet with knowledge on the human anatomy. He had been registered under the alias Carlos Norris, an alias that Andros had told the rebels to be on the lookout for. A nurse working at the time he had been admitted had contacted the space ranger immediately, and upon his request, placed Tommy under the care of Dr. Folinar. His injuries were relatively easy to treat on KO-35 and only took four days to heal, but Andros had asked the staff to run interference and to tell Zedd that Tommy would need at least a week for recovery. The green ranger wasn't really sure what exactly Andros wanted him on KO-35 for – there was still work to be done with taking down Zedd, work that was easier to do if he was back on Serpentera – but he trusted the space ranger had a good reason for this change of plans.

That being said, Tommy trailed behind him warily, unsure of where exactly the younger teen was taking him. Andros had arranged for a vehicle to transport him to the middle of nowhere, and now he was leading him into a grass field to no clear destination.

"Care to share with the class where the hell we're going?" he asked the space ranger.

Andros turned to him, his expression giving nothing away. "You will know soon enough."

Tommy rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath about all red rangers being assholes. He didn't miss the smile that crossed the KOan's face.

They walked for about fifteen minutes before stopping next to a pile of colorful rocks. Andros shuffled the rocks around, first arranging them in a three-by-three grid and then twisting the center stone counterclockwise. He took out what looked like a small CD from the inner pocket of his jacket and held it up high above his head.

"WELCOME, ANDROS."

Tommy stumbled back in alarm when a house suddenly materialized out of thin air about twenty feet in front of them. It was a modest home – one-story with a sizeable front yard. He guessed it didn't have more than four bedrooms.

"Protective shields," the striped-haired teen said with a grin.

"Yeah… but protecting what exactly?" the green ranger wondered aloud as Andros headed up the porch and opened the front door.

"Anyone home?" the space ranger called out. Light shuffling could be heard from the back of the house.

The green ranger took a quick look around the house. It was much bigger on the inside than it appeared at first. The living room was very spacious, and the kitchen seemed quite big from what he could see of it through the doorway. Andros walked down the main hallway and stopped at the first door, mumbling something under his breath and then knocking on it softly three times. He then pushed a button on a nearby panel and the door slid open, revealing a master bedroom decorated in purple and gray.

"Andros, is that you?" Tommy froze at the sound of Kimberly's voice coming from further down the hall.

"It is," Andros answered, pushing another button and closing the bedroom door. "And I've brought you a surprise."

Soft footsteps headed quickly in their direction. "Really? I love surprises!" she said excitedly as she rushed into the living room.

Her ardent stride came to a halt when she spotted the green ranger. "T-Tommy?"

"Kimberly… uh, hi," he said, mouth suddenly dry. _'Really? First time seeing her in a while and_ that's _what comes out of your mouth? Nice, Oliver.'_

The first thing he noticed was the return of her flat stomach, a strange sight after getting used to her swollen belly. Her hair was shorter than last time, stopping just at her upper back. The color was no longer auburn but instead a deep chestnut with caramel highlights. The light gray tank top she wore was faded and torn at the edges, and it fit a little snug around her breasts. She wore acid wash jean shorts, and he could tell that her hips were fuller, most likely a result of the pregnancy.

But even with those changes, she was still Kimberly.

Being deprived of her for so long made seeing her without warning a lot for the green ranger to take in. He felt anxious, giddy even, now that she was in the same room. Something powerful took root inside of him as he gazed at her, and it was growing more intense with each passing second.

Andros moved further into the house. "I can't stay long. I'm just dropping him off." He peeked his head into one of the rooms. "Where's Ryan?"

Tommy's stomach lurched uncomfortably at the mention of his son. Shit, was he here? Was he about to meet him?

"He's with Leera. She's watching him so I can run some errands today," she said absently, her eyes never leaving Tommy.

The green ranger sighed internally at the news that the baby wasn't home. The mere thought of seeing his son had him in a state of near debilitating panic. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Tommy vaguely heard Andros mutter something off to the side – what exactly, he wasn't sure because his focus was solely on Kimberly. He did notice when the front door slammed shut, signaling Andros' exit and the fact that he and the pink ranger were now completely alone.

He fidgeted nervously at the tense silence. "So…"

She stood with her arms crossed over her chest protectively. "What are you doing here?"

"Andros said that I could crash at a place his family owns nearby while I'm in town." He shrugged. "I didn't know you would be here."

"Right." The pink ranger gazed coolly at the duffel bag in his hand. "Well, don't get too comfortable. You're not staying."

Tommy sighed at her frosty tone. "Don't do that. Please."

"Do what?"

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. I don't need the attitude right now, all right? I've had a rough couple of days."

"Oh, poor Tommy," she sneered. "That's not my problem."

He pinched the bridge of his nose then winced from the soreness. "Can you maybe wait five minutes before jumping down my throat? We haven't seen each other in a long time, Kim."

"And whose fault is that?" she hissed.

Tommy threw her an incredulous look. "If I remember correctly, _you_ told me not to come back, so you don't get to be mad that I didn't!" He tossed the duffel bag onto the floor with a scowl. "And it's not like I was partying it up out there. I was working to take down Zedd and putting my life on the line to protect you… didn't you watch the video?"

Jesus, they'd only been in the room together for a few minutes and already they were arguing. It was frustrating as hell.

And more than a little invigorating.

Fuck, he wanted to kiss her so bad. Being so close to her but not touching her had him on edge.

"I did, but I'm not stupid enough to believe you were trying to protect _me._ " Kimberly made a derisive noise. "You're protecting you – you're _always_ protecting you."

"It's not like that," he argued.

"Bullshit. People like you can't change, Tommy."

"And people like _you_ don't give others enough credit."

She laughed. "What credit is due? You're the same selfish bastard you've always been."

Tommy opened his mouth to let out a scathing retort but paused when he saw the eager look in her eyes.

She was goading him.

"No, you know what? I'm not doing this with you. You wanna fight? Find someone else. You saw the video. You know how I feel. You know the truth – I have nothing else to say."

She seemed to deflate a little at his refusal to argue with her, and he resisted the urge to grin.

"Whatever." Kimberly turned away from him and headed for the door. "Like I said, don't get comfortable. I'm going to find Andros and – "

He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. She gasped at the contact, and a thrill ran through him at the feel of her skin. It was a simple touch, but it was enough to send a jolt straight to his groin.

Kimberly stared at his hand. "Let go of me."

"No," he growled. He moved closer, using his superior height to tower over her. "And I'm not going anywhere."

They both knew that his grip was loose enough that she could break free if she wanted – so why hadn't she?

The two engaged in a silent battle of wills, staring each other down until Kim finally averted her gaze and nodded.

"Fine, you can stay," she said tersely. "Now take your hand off of me."

He loosened his grip but still held her to him. "What if I don't want to?"

His fingers trailed down to her hand slowly, the pad of his thumb grazing the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. He felt her pulse quicken from his touch, and an intoxicating surge of power rushed through him knowing he could still make her react that way.

"Stop," she said quietly.

She sounded angry, but he noticed the goosebumps that were visible on her skin... and that she still hadn't pulled away from him yet.

Kim inhaled sharply when the green ranger turned her hand over in his and twined their fingers together. He tugged her forward so that she was almost pressed against him, and he placed his hand on her hip. She trembled slightly when his other arm curled around her waist.

Tommy pulled her into him, and she immediately tensed up when his hands found the small of her back. He rested his chin on top of her head, large hands running comfortingly up and down her back until the tension slowly eased from her.

"I hate you," she whispered into his shirt.

"I know," he said, pulling back and cupping her face. Tommy pressed his forehead against hers intimately, eyes closed while he breathed her in. Small hands gripped his shirt tightly.

"But I also know you missed this," he said quietly. "Me holding you."

"Tommy…"

"Being with you." He nuzzled his nose against hers until she turned away from him. Kimberly covered his hands with hers and removed them from her face.

"Stop it," she whispered fiercely. He curled his hands around hers, refusing to break his connection with her.

"Being inside you," he continued, causing her to close her eyes briefly and gasp. "I know because I missed it, too."

Kimberly didn't confirm or deny his claims, but the moisture building in her eyes and the flashes of longing in those brown depths told him everything he needed to know.

Slowly, he walked them forward, pinning her between his body and the wall, all the while never breaking eye contact. He could feel the nervous energy coming from her when his body was flush against hers, his growing erection nudging her stomach. The two of them stayed like that for some time, pressed together intimately while they studied each other's features. Tommy swallowed hard from the effort of restraining himself. The need building in the pit of his stomach was now a raging inferno, and it physically hurt to be so damn close and not have her.

And then she licked her lips and tucked that damn bottom one between her teeth, and any semblance of control he had was shattered.

Tommy leaned down and kissed her slowly, teasing her lips apart with his. She gasped against his mouth, allowing him to suck and bite at her lips for only a moment before turning away from him. Frustrated with just a taste of her, Tommy held the sides of her face and plundered her mouth freely, breaking only for the occasional need for air. Her nails dug into his wrists, pulling a hoarse moan from him.

"What?" he rasped impatiently when she pulled back from him. His eyes were fixed on her bottom lip, plump and wet from his kisses.

"Tommy, I… _shit_." She sighed when he leaned down again, grazing his teeth against her jaw. The enticing way she said his name made his cock jump in his jeans.

"Shut up," he whispered. He brushed his lips against hers, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth. She gripped his shirt tightly and moaned when he sucked on her tongue. The green ranger broke the kiss, forehead pressed against hers. His chest felt tight with too much emotion and his heart was pounding with adrenaline. Kissing her was overwhelming and made him feel a little dizzy.

And dammit, he wanted more.

He kissed her again, hungrily this time, swallowing her surprised gasp while pushing her harder up against the wall. She moaned when his kisses trailed from her lips to her neck, licking at the sensitive skin there. Calloused hands snaked beneath her tank top to cup her breasts, occasionally tweaking pebbled nipples and drawing a hiss. Her breasts were bigger than he remembered – another result of the pregnancy, he assumed.

His eyes flashed green and he pulled her shirt off, baring her chest to him. He took each breast into his mouth and suckled intently. Her breath hitched each time his tongue flicked across a taut nipple, and she tugged hard at his curly hair. Her breasts seemed extra sensitive now judging by the way she was writhing against him, and he made a mental note to remember that for later.

He descended her body, kissing wetly down her torso until he was eyelevel with her pelvis. He gripped her hips, twisting her around roughly so that her back was facing him. Long fingers undid the fly of her shorts and hooked into the waistband, yanking them and her panties down to gather on top of her sneakers.

Tommy lovingly massaged her ass while she stepped out of her clothes and shoes. He teasingly nipped each cheek while his hand slid between her thighs, rubbing at her tender sex. He narrowed his eyes when she grasped his hand tightly, preventing him from touching her. Tommy slowly reached around and grabbed her wrists, lifting her hands and pinning them against the wall with his own.

His free hand slid between her thighs and teased her clit, making her grind against his fingers. She was already a little wet, and he slipped his fingers inside of her to loosen her up a bit more for him. Tommy groaned at the way she gripped his digits, and his cock twitched in anticipation of feeling the same. He fingered her for a while, working her expertly until her legs quivered uncontrollably, her walls pulsing from a strong orgasm. Tommy slipped out of her and sucked his fingers into his mouth with a deep groan. She tasted so fucking good, and as much as he wanted to properly taste her, he needed to be inside her more.

The green ranger stood up, frantically undoing his jeans and shoving them down until they hang just below his hips. He slid his cock along her sex, using the ridge of his shaft to stimulate her. She whined when his grinding became more forceful, and he moaned when he felt her thrusting back against him, the feel of her wetness along his shaft driving him insane. Taking his cock in his hand, Tommy pressed his foot against the inside of hers to spread her legs wider. With a ragged breath, he bent his knees and guided himself into her.

Kimberly gasped and arched her back when the head of him pushed inside of her, her fingers reaching back to tangle in his hair. The green ranger pressed a wet kiss to her shoulder as he slowly slid in further, cursing softly once he was almost all the way in. He wanted to go deeper, but he knew this wouldn't last long at all if he was in to the hilt. He gave a few tentative strokes to let her adjust to his size again, and the soft little moans she let out nearly sent him over the edge. She whimpered his name and shivered, her hips rotating in tiny circles as she stretched around him.

Tommy breathed deeply in and out of his nose to try to calm down. He didn't want to embarrass himself and cum too soon, but god, she felt so fucking good.

He braced one hand against the wall above her head and wrapped the other around her waist, hauling her against him so that she was sitting on his thighs. He spread his legs a bit wider for more leverage and tucked his face in her neck, groaning deep in the back of his throat from the pleasure. The green ranger had imagined going slow their first time together in almost a year, but his need for her was so intense, it just wasn't possible at the moment. He tried his best to keep his pace steady, but each thrust was more forceful than the last.

Tommy fucked her rough and fast, pulling a breathless cry from her after each thrust. Kim dug her nails into his arm and shuddered, her head rocking back against his shoulder as she sat astride him. He grabbed her hands and pinned them against the wall, applying enough pressure so that she couldn't break his hold. He pounded up into her, causing her to scream and his jeans and boxers to fall and bunch around his ankles. His chest scraped against her back, while her feet twisted to wrap around the back of his legs. Tommy grunted each time he slid into her, unable to articulate just how good it felt to be back where he belonged. His mind was a haze of pleasure, and his sole desire was to quench his overpowering need for her.

Kim jerked to free her hands from his grip when nimble fingers slipped down to tease the bundle of nerves between her thighs, and she sobbed his name when he wouldn't stop. She came on his cock with a whimper, nails scratching desperately at the wall. Wet fingers slid up her trembling stomach to grab her breasts, leaving a trail of her slick essence on her skin.

Tommy growled at the delicious contractions around his length, and his balls started to tighten up. He could feel his release building up in the pit of his stomach, and the closer he got, the harder he fucked her. He panted harshly from his efforts, face buried into the side of her neck.

"I can't… I…" He grit his teeth when her walls gripped him just right. "Can I cum inside you?"

He prayed to God she'd say yes – he wasn't sure he'd be able to pull out in time.

"Yes," she breathed out around a moan. She reached back and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck.

"Yeah?" he asked, somewhat surprised. She nodded frantically in confirmation.

His grip around her waist tightened considerably when his cock began to swell, and Tommy gave a series of forceful lunges into her pussy. His thrusts were frantic, almost violent in his desperation. He grunted into her hair, teeth clenched painfully as the coiling sensation in his abdomen intensified. The green ranger shivered when he felt the white-hot flames of release snake down his spine. He gasped when it became too much for him, and the tension in his belly finally snapped, giving way to pure bliss.

Tommy bit down on her shoulder and gave one final sharp thrust right as he spilled inside her. He cried out his pleasure into her back, teeth scraping the sweaty flesh. His knees buckled slightly as her pussy sucked him dry, mercilessly wrenching his release from his trembling form.

The green ranger faltered slightly when his climax came to an end, the wall now the only thing keeping him up. Shakily, Tommy brushed her hair to one side and placed sloppy kisses along her face and neck. His hand slid lower to massage her breasts, tweaking her nipples gently one last time before pulling out of her.

Tommy stepped out of his jeans and boxers and kicked them to the side. He turned her around to face him, arms braced against the wall on either side of her head. To his surprise, he was still hard after such an intense orgasm – a testament of his desire for her.

His mind was clearer now that the initial surge of overwhelming need had passed. He felt a little more in control of himself now that he'd already had her.

But he was a greedy bastard.

Tommy nuzzled her nose tenderly, barely brushing his lips against hers in the process. She turned away from him slightly to avoid his kiss. He nipped her bottom lip playfully in response, clearly able to see through her little act. He smiled when she caved and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet her in a hard kiss.

The green ranger scooped her up into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her down the hall towards the master bedroom he saw earlier, blindly bumping into things because he was too focused on the erotic way her tongue curled around his. She reached behind her distractedly, finding the open button on the door panel and slamming her hand against it.

They stumbled into her room when the door slid open, falling onto her bed in a heap of tangled limbs, the drop a lot lower than he had anticipated. Tommy won the battle for dominance and rolled on top of her, his chest scraping her sensitive nipples as he pushed inside of her again.

The green ranger cupped her cheek and kissed her, swallowing the moan she let out each time their hips collided. He grabbed her legs, pulling them up high around his waist. He rolled his hips hard against hers, his length sliding into her slick channel again and again.

Tommy broke their kiss and braced his hands on either side of her head. He panted above her, sweat gathering at the base of his throat from the exertion. Kimberly cried out in pleasure, hands sliding down to grip his thighs. She arched up from the bed, rolling her head back against the pillows when she came again.

He took her breasts into his mouth, sucking the pebbled nipples lovingly. She felt like heaven around him – warm and tight and so fucking wet – and her cries for him were turning him on even more. She gasped and shuddered beneath him, gripping his arms hard and leaving angry scratch marks across his skin.

He rotated his hips in large circles as he thrust, eyes fixed on the flush in her cheeks and the soft way she looked at him. Now that he was here with her, he couldn't understand how in the hell he made it through the last few months without her. A wave of intense emotion swept over him then, similar to what he felt when he made that video for her, and it made his heart beat faster.

Tommy pulled out of her slowly, his cock wet and swollen, and he positioned her so that she was on her hands and knees. He squeezed her ass gently, spreading her cheeks for a better view. Two fingers gently traced the lips of her sex, dipping in between to tease her clit. She moaned at the contact, twisting gently to rub harder against his fingers.

The green ranger pulled off his shirt and tossed it off to the side, not really caring where it landed. He felt hot all over, the cool metal from his silver Libra chain the only source of relief from the sticky heat of the bedroom. He held onto her hip while he lined up his cock, pushing in to the hilt in one smooth thrust. Kimberly gasped and fell forward onto her stomach, and he moved with her so that he was lying flush against her back. The bed was low enough to the ground that she could brace her hands against the bedroom floor, and he covered her hands with his, holding them down against the hardwood floor.

Tommy immediately began rocking his hips against hers, giving her barely a moment to adjust before sensually fucking her from behind. He only slid out an inch or two before pushing back into her balls deep, wanting her to feel every inch of him inside of her in this position. He nipped and licked her shoulder, his chain hanging low around his neck and the Libra pendant bouncing rhythmically against her upper arm.

He watched her face carefully in the mirror across from them and could tell from the look on her face that this was more than likely the deepest penetration she'd felt in quite some time. She didn't look like she was in pain – far from it actually. Her expression was one of intense pleasure, and she was gasping and shaking beneath him. She whimpered and tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed her hip and held her still.

"It's okay…" he whispered pushing deep into her snug depths. "It's – _uhn_ – i-it's okay… _shit_ …"

The room was filled with the squeaks of the mattress springs, his ragged pants, and the pink ranger's soft cries. Their moans blended together, underscored by the wet sound of his cock sliding into her.

His eyes fluttered closed in ecstasy. Her pussy felt so fucking good that the green ranger wanted to cry and tell her that he loved her. He spread his thighs wider against the bed in order to add more power to his thrusts. Kimberly moaned beneath him in response, her cries and gasps of pleasure growing louder. The green ranger groaned, the sounds wearing at the already fraying thread of control he had left.

Tommy pressed his face against the side of hers. "T-Tell me you feel like I do…"

He licked the shell of her ear. "Tell me you – _uhn_ – you – _uhng_ – that you love me, too…"

He could feel her getting wetter and wetter, her walls gripping him just a little tighter on every thrust. He wrapped his left hand loosely around her neck, tilting her head back so that it rest against his shoulder. Kimberly gasped and whimpered, her walls squeezing him rhythmically.

His lips brushed against her ear. "Say it."

He rest his head against hers, eyes closed as he tried to keep from cumming. She reached back for him, grabbing a firm buttock and squeezing. He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and moaned, tugging on the lobe with his teeth. He was quickly approaching release and couldn't stop himself from jackhammering into her, pulling a string of shrill cries from the pink ranger. The mattress strained and groaned beneath them as his thrusts grew more frenzied, its whines mixing in with her screams.

" _Iloveyou! Iloveyou!"_ she sobbed, her face wet with tears. A steamy climax rolled through her, resulting in fresh coat of wetness on his cock that made Tommy hiss in pleasure.

" _O-Ohmy…god!_ " She scratched at the wooden floor and shivered, tremors racking her body.

It was overwhelming – her confession, the way she felt around him – all of it had his head spinning and was enough to send him right over the edge. His face contorted when he felt his cock swell suddenly, and he squeezed her fingers hard when he finally reached his peak.

The green ranger tensed up and moaned as a powerful, body-shaking orgasm claimed him. He ground his hips against hers, steadily pumping his seed into her pussy through every pulse of his orgasm. Tommy kept thrusting until he was spent, grunting out his satisfaction and sagging against her. He sucked at the salty skin of her neck, eyes fluttering from the sweet taste of her. He grunted when she pushed him off of her onto his back.

Tommy closed his eyes, his heaving chest covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The green ranger ran his fingers through his hair, his appetite for her temporarily sated.

"That was… goddamn," he panted.

"Yeah," she said halfheartedly, wiping at her eyes and sniffling as she rolled over to lay on her back.

He frowned as he watched her. She obviously enjoyed the sex, so he knew that wasn't the reason for her sudden change in attitude. He turned over onto his side and poked her on the nose playfully.

"What's wrong?" Brown eyes trailed over her features in concern. "Is it because we didn't use protection? You didn't have to let me – "

"No, no… it's not that. I'm on birth control, so it's fine. I just…" The pink ranger covered her face with her hands and groaned. "What is _wrong_ with me?"

He reached out to stroke her arm. "What do you mean?"

"This. Us." She gestured between them. "We fight. We end up having sex, and then it's over, and I end up hating myself even more than before. Why does this keep happening?"

"You know why," he whispered.

Kimberly looked away, tears building in her eyes. "It's not fair. I _hate_ feeling this way about you."

Tommy shifted closer to her, his hand sliding down to her waist. "Why is it so hard for you to accept the way you feel about me?"

"Because you aren't good for me," she whispered, pushing his hand off of her and sitting up so that her back was against the headboard.

He frowned. "You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do," she said vehemently. "I _can't_ be in love with you. Not anymore."

"Why?"

"Because things are finally going right for me." Kimberly stared down at him for a long time before grabbing a pillow and cradling it. "The last time we saw each other, I wasn't in a good place. I hated you _so much_ – for what you did to me, to my friends… for what you were doing to our home. And I hated myself because I still cared about you despite all of the horrible shit you'd done."

"Kim…"

She wiped her eyes. "I left to get away from everything so I could focus on raising my son without having to think about you or the war. I needed to go somewhere I could make a fresh start." She bit her lip. "Andros suggested KO-35 – it was relatively safe, and there were human hospitals around that I could deliver the baby at." She paused, lower lip trembling. "And then I got your video…"

He nodded encouragingly for her to continue.

"The first time you said you were going after Zedd, I thought it was just another one of your lies, but seeing that video… watching you say goodbye because you weren't sure you were going to make it..." She squeezed the pillow tighter. "I hated you for so long… I didn't expect the thought of losing you to hurt so much."

The green ranger reached up and gently grabbed her hand in his, his thumb rubbing circles into her palm.

"And then I was angry." She glared at him, though there wasn't much heat behind it. "You were abandoning me – _again_. You got me pregnant, fucked everything up, and then had the gall to just call it quits and leave me to pick up the pieces. Alone."

He nudged her side. "You know it wasn't like that."

"I know," she confessed quietly. "It was just easier to hate you for leaving me than to think that you might…"

Tommy nodded in understanding. "Go on."

"To tell you the truth, it'd been so long since I heard anything about the green ranger… the video was a shock. I figured you were probably dead, and no one had the guts to tell me."

He squeezed her thigh. "I told them not to tell you – tell _anyone_ – about what was going on. The fewer people that know, the better the chances of our plan working," he said. "I wanted to talk to you so badly, Kim. Believe me. That's why I made the video in the first place – I _had_ to talk to you."

She studied his face for a long time, eyes searching for something Tommy wasn't sure she'd be able to find.

"Can I ask you something?" she said breaking the comfortable silence.

He nodded.

"In your video… when you told me how you felt about me…" She traced a finger along the hair trailing from his bellybutton to his pubic bone. "Why couldn't you just tell me that before?"

"Because I was afraid," he admitted, thumb stroking her lower back. "I wasn't even sure I loved you at first, and then when I knew, it scared the shit out of me… and not just because of what Zedd could do if he found out." He reached around to grab her hand. "Loving you meant that my actions had consequences – I had someone I cared about that I could lose because of what I was doing…"

"And you thought as long as you didn't admit how you felt, that gave you a free pass to do what you wanted," she finished, shaking her head. "You're an idiot."

He looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…"

"Wait… but Jason's still alive…" She furrowed her brow. "The only thing you've wanted is him dead. That never happened… so what made you change your mind about telling me?"

"I gained some… _perspective_ on what I really wanted." He winced at the mental image of a bloodied and broken Zack on the ground. "I realized I want Zedd gone, not Jason, and when I started working with Andros, something just sort of clicked for me one day. I realized… there's no way out of this for me." He chuckled despite the grim realization. "I'm going to die, Kim – maybe by Zedd's hand, maybe by the Eltarians. Either way, I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do to change that." He sighed. "Once I was able to accept that, it just seemed silly to be afraid of anything else."

He cupped her cheek in his hand and turned her face towards his. "I wasted a lot of time because I was scared. I don't want to do that anymore."

Kimberly grabbed his hand and moved it to rest in her lap.

"I was able to move on from what we were," she whispered. "I've been focused on Ryan and myself, and things have been good for me here. _Really_ good. I got a nice job and group of friends here. The people are caring and supportive. Ryan's doing well." She rubbed firm circles into the back of his hand. "But now you're back and everything's complicated all over again."

He smiled playfully. "Wouldn't be us if it wasn't complicated."

"Tommy, I don't _want_ complicated. I can't deal with that, especially not with Ryan in the picture. I need simple. I need _safe_." She looked at him. "What I _don't_ need is you."

"Of course you don't need me." He sat up beside her against the headboard. "We both know we could manage without each other fine, Kim, but I don't want to." He nudged her thigh with his. "And I don't think you want to, either."

The pink ranger looked down. "I don't know what to do," she said tearfully. "There's a part of me that wants so badly to be with you." She looked at him. "But every time I look at you, I see all the ways you've let me down, and I don't know how to move past that."

It hurt more than he expected to hear those words. "I can't change what I've done, Kim. I know that I've hurt you, and I didn't handle things the way I should've." He twined their fingers together. "I wasn't there for you the way I should've been, but I'm trying to do the right thing now."

Tommy could see the indecision on her face, and it made his chest grow tight. He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He cupped her face and nuzzled his nose against hers until she pulled away from him.

"I'm gonna go take a quick shower," she whispered.

He followed her with his eyes as she left for the adjacent room. He waited until the door closed to groan in frustration.

Truthfully, the green ranger wasn't really sure what to make of everything between them. The feelings were there, as was the attraction, but their relationship was still one giant question mark.

Tommy got up from the bed and headed back out into the living area, grabbing his jeans and boxers off the ground. He slipped them and his shirt back on, zipping the fly as he made way back to the bedroom to stand by the large bay window. He undid the latch and slid the window open, letting the cool breeze from outside filter into the hot room.

He sat on the bed with a sigh, hands running over his face. Seeing Kim again was an unexpected turn of events – one that he needed to make the most of. He had no idea how long he had before Zedd summoned him back, but he wanted to spend every possible second with her if he could.

The thought of Zedd made him frown. He hadn't heard anything from the emperor since they last spoke on Serpentera. Tommy took the fact that he was still alive as confirmation that Zedd hadn't figured out his role in the shipment fiasco. There was no way in hell he'd let Tommy off the hook for something that cost him so dearly.

But still… the lack of _anything_ from the emperor was more than a little disconcerting.

The green ranger looked up when Kim came back into the bedroom, skin flushed and damp from her shower. She was wrapped up in a fluffy yellow towel with her hair tied up in a bun. Kimberly awkwardly cleared her throat.

"I need to get dressed." She walked over to the dresser nearest to him and grabbed a pair of panties and a bra. "I still have errands I need to run. You can stay here until I – "

"No." He grabbed her hand as she walked past him, stopping her in her tracks. "Come back to bed."

He saw the hesitation clear as day on her face and tugged her towards him. The green ranger guided her onto his lap and pulled her into a languid kiss that she slowly returned, his lips and tongue moving sensually against hers. He broke the kiss after several seconds, releasing her bottom lip from between his teeth.

"Stay," he whispered into her mouth.

She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes. Tommy reached down and pulled her clothes from her hands, throwing them onto the floor. He pressed gentle kisses across her face, first on her nose then her cheeks, her chin, and then her jaw. She moaned softly, tilting her head back to give him more access. He took full advantage, his lips and tongue sucking at the hollow point of her throat. His hands were busy sliding down the back of her towel, gripping her ass and pulling her closer to him.

Tommy shifted around so that they were laying down with him on top of her. He could see the mix of emotions dancing in her eyes – anticipation, fear, sadness, anger, lust – and all of it directed at him. She cupped his jaw and sighed, her expression resigned. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. The green ranger moaned when her tongue found his, engaging him in a soul-stirring kiss.

He trailed wet kisses down her neck and collarbone to the swell of her breasts where he teasingly bit at the exposed flesh. He undid the knot at her side, letting the towel fall open and exposing her nude form. He suckled each breast until the nipple hardened, playfully biting down on the pebbled nubs. He trailed further south and pressed another kiss to the spot beneath her bellybutton, followed by several more that trailed to her hip. Faint, thin lines he recognized as stretch marks covered her stomach and hips, and he ran his tongue over each one of them, pulling a shiver from her.

Tommy paused when he reached a thin, pale scar that stretched about six inches across her skin, right above her pubic bone. The scar was new, and from its location, he gathered it was needed for the delivery of the baby. He brushed a thumb across the puckered skin as he examined it, a wave of sadness washing over him as he was once again reminded that he wasn't there for her or the birth of his son.

The green ranger slid calloused hands up the sides of her legs and pried her thighs apart, revealing her to him. He heard her breath hitch when he reached the apex of her thighs, but she made no move to stop him. He nuzzled her sex, breathing in the scent of her.

She gripped his shoulders. "I… Tommy…"

He gave a long, wet lick along her folds, pulling a breathy whimper from her.

The green ranger could feel her trembling as his hands skimmed her upper thighs, moving to the apex to spread the flesh of her sex. She gasped when Tommy leaned forward, his tongue running up and down her folds. He made circles around her clit with his tongue, avoiding making direct contact until she squirmed. Kim dug her nails into his shoulders when his lips finally found her clit, sucking and flicking the sensitive bud.

He sucked hard on the bundle of nerves, making her shudder and cry out. He kept one hand pressed against her stomach, while the other reached for the back of her knee and hooked her right leg over his shoulder. Rough swipes across her clit made her jerk in his grasp and dig her heel into his back.

Kimberly whimpered and fisted a pillow, her hips moving in small circles against his tongue. Tommy moved with her, grabbing her other leg and placing it on his shoulder. He ate her out with fervor, so relentless in his ministrations that she could only gasp and moan in response. Tommy groaned when her essence coated his tongue, and he sucked every drop down greedily.

Jesus Christ, he needed more.

Kimberly moaned when he slipped his fingers into her, her movements somewhere between trying to ride his fingers harder and pushing him off of her.

" _I'm gonna cum…_ " she gasped, voice high-pitched. She twisted again and pulled his hair hard. " _I'mgonnacum!_ "

The green ranger moaned, doubling his efforts to get her over the edge. She pushed at his head, but he ignored her and instead took her clit into his mouth again and suckled the swollen bud. Her back arched high off the bed, thighs trembling around his head as she came against his tongue with a sharp cry.

She bucked and twisted against his mouth, but he kept his grip firm and held her in place. Tommy lapped at her clit faster, sucking hard on the sensitive nub until she pushed him away.

"Mm," he moaned, lips wet from tasting her.

The green ranger leaned down again and planted a kiss on her sex, his tongue sliding past her folds into her pussy. He slipped two fingers into her channel, curling them inside of her. He slid his tongue up to her swollen clit, teasing it with practiced ease.

Kim gasped and squealed, thighs squeezing the sides of his head. Tommy tightened his hold on her legs and pried them open again.

" _Ah…unh…unh…AH!_ _S-stop…ungh!"_ Her thighs trembled in his hold. " _It's too…!_ " she groaned, pushing at his head. _"Please!"_

The green ranger swatted her hands away, not stopping for a second. Tommy took her into his mouth again, pushing his tongue in and out of her channel until she sobbed his name. A hand slid up to her left breast, massaging it firmly and tweaking the sensitive nipple. He released her breast and pressed down on her stomach to keep her in place, his tongue curling and twisting skillfully inside of her.

He watched her face scrunch up in pleasure as she rolled her hips against his mouth, riding his tongue straight to another hard orgasm. She braced her hands against the headboard and screamed, her abdomen contracting and twitching beneath his palm.

The pink ranger jerked hard when he applied suction to the underside of her clit, her legs bending so that her feet were planted on his shoulders. She pushed down until he released her, and Tommy pouted when she shut her legs.

"Stop it." He pressed a kiss to the side of her leg. "Open back up," he whispered.

She shook her head, still shivering as she covered her sex protectively. "I can't."

"Open up," he said again, only to be met with her shaking her head once more. He caressed the top of her thighs gently. "Don't get shy on me now…"

When she still refused, the green ranger's eyes flashed in annoyance. He grabbed her thighs and forced them open, pinning them against the bed. He took her clit into his mouth and suckled the throbbing nub firmly. He could feel her legs jerk in his hold, desperately trying to close but unable to due to his strength.

The pink ranger shivered and moaned helplessly as he ate her out, feebly pushing at his head and shoulders to no avail. Tommy moaned loudly at hearing her cries, so turned on by the sound that his erection was now pushing painfully against his jeans.

Kim whimpered and reached above her for the headboard while her other hand tugged his hair. " _Nngh_ … _ohmy…AH!_ "

Tommy gave a series of rough licks against her clit, causing her to squirm and sit up straight. He pushed her back down, forcing her to lay flat on her back. Long fingers trailed across her hip down to her sex, and he slipped three fingers deep into her.

She whimpered when he curled his fingers inside her, thrusting deep again and again. She canted her hips, pressing herself closer to his mouth and inadvertently giving him a better angle. Tommy smiled when the pink ranger bent her legs so that her feet were planted against his shoulders again, this time spreading her thighs wide open for him to suck her clit how he wanted. Her grip on his fingers grew incredibly tight, and her hips and thighs began to shake, a clear sign she was about to cum.

Kim rolled her hips faster and faster against his tongue until she came with a startled gasp, coating his fingers and lips with her release. He removed his fingers and shoved his tongue deep into her pussy, loud slurps sounding between her thighs as he savored every last drop.

" _Please..._ " she begged as she pushed his head, legs still undulating around him. " _I can't…"_

The green ranger kept going a little longer before releasing her. He gave her clit one last firm suck and a few rough licks before crawling up her body, trailing kisses up her body until he reached her neck.

He was so riled up and horny just from tasting her – he needed to be inside her again.

Tommy unzipped his jeans, shoving them and his boxers down to his knees. He stroked himself roughly, extremely turned on by how wet and ready she was for him. He gripped the back of her thighs and pushed down, bending her in half while spreading her thighs wide. Tommy placed his arms behind her legs, locking her in place while he pushed into her with a soft groan. He pumped his hips hard and fast, his thrusts forceful enough to make the mattress slide across the bed several inches.

The green ranger whimpered helplessly into her shoulder, mind in a haze of hot, white pleasure. He felt completely out of control, his thrusts unrestrained and frantic on top of her. She reached up to grab his shoulders and he gripped her wrists, pinning them down to the bed as he continued to fuck her with wild abandon. He slid in balls deep again and again, his sack smacking loudly against her ass as he took her roughly. The green ranger's moans grew desperate and ragged, escalating in volume and pitch until he finally burst inside of her with a hoarse shout.

Tommy fisted the sheets and shuddered, cumming hard in her slick depths. He whimpered high in his throat, a shiver running up and down his spine each time he released another thick spurt of his seed. The green ranger collapsed on top of her when he was too weak to hold himself up any longer and panted into her chest, still thrusting his softening cock. When his climax came to an end, he shakily rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes.

He took deep breaths to calm his breathing. He knew he looked ridiculous right now – jeans and boxers halfway down his legs, cock slick and flaccid against his stomach. He reached under his shirt and placed a hand over his chest. His heart was beating so goddamn fast.

"Tommy…" Kim tucked her hair behind her ears. "I… listen…"

"Can we talk about it later?" He held up a hand when she made to protest. "I know we have a lot we still need to figure out." He ran his fingers through her hair. "But right now, anything we talk about will lead to a fight, and we're both too tired to argue."

Time stood still for the green ranger as he waited for her response.

"Fine." She rolled over onto her side. "But we _will_ talk about this."

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. He truly didn't have the energy to fight with Kimberly – not after everything that had happened between them today.

He kicked jeans onto the floor and pulled his boxers back up, tucking himself in. He shifted so that her back was to his front and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest. He felt her tense up slightly at the contact before she eventually relaxed in his hold. The green ranger grabbed the covers and pulled them over their bodies.

"I missed this," he murmured in her ear after a long stretch of silence, eyes drifting closed.

A smaller hand found its way on top of his and squeezed gently.

"Me too."

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Kimberly's Bedroom**

 **KO-35**

 **Local time, Early Evening**

A loud cry jolted Tommy from his slumber. He looked around blearily, momentarily confused to be in a bedroom he didn't recognize. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, gasping as the events of the last few hours came back to him in a rush.

He was in Kimberly's room. The thought brought a smile to his face. _'It wasn't all a dream this time.'_

Tommy frowned when he heard that sound again, only this time he realized what it was. It was the sound of a baby.

 _His_ baby.

The green ranger scrambled out of the bed, nearly tripping on the sheets in his haste. His clothes were in a pile on top of his duffel bag on the floor, no doubt Kimberly's doing while he was asleep. He grabbed his jeans, stepping into them and yanking them up his legs. He rushed to her bathroom, peeing quickly and flushing the toilet. He turned on the faucet and washed his hands, followed by throwing cold water on his face to wake himself up.

"Get it together, Tommy. It's just a baby. No reason to freak out, man." Taking a deep breath, he headed out.

In the living room stood Kimberly, Andros, and a fussy Ryan. Andros had a diaper bag hanging on his arm and a stroller lying at his feet. Kimberly was rocking Ryan gently, coaxing him to take a white pacifier into his mouth.

Tommy's heart thudded loudly in his chest as he walked over to them. He nodded at Andros who looked him up and down curiously. Tommy knew the red ranger was taking note of the fact that he came from Kimberly's bedroom, along with his missing shirt and his undone jeans. Normally, an arrogant comment would be on the tip of his tongue, but the green ranger couldn't care less at the moment. He was too engrossed with the squirming bundle in Kimberly's arms.

She turned towards the green ranger. "You're awake."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "The crying sorta woke me up."

He saw Kim and Andros share a brief look he didn't understand before she gave a nod. "Would you like to hold him?"

Tommy shot her a look of pure panic. "I don't… I mean… that might not be a good idea."

He saw her exchange a look with Andros again. "He's your son, Tommy. You should hold him." She reached out to him. "Come here."

Very few things made Tommy Oliver nervous and meeting his son was at the top of the list.

The green ranger bit back the urge to hurl. God, why the fuck were his palms so sweaty?

"Hold your arms like mine… yeah, that's right… okay, I'm going to pass him to you…" Kim carefully deposited the baby into his waiting arms. "Tilt your arm up a bit more… there you go."

Tommy looked down at the little boy staring up at him with curious brown eyes. Ryan wore a baby blue and yellow onesie. He sucked on the pacifier as he watched his father, no longer squirming.

"He's beautiful," Tommy whispered, chest tight with emotion. "He has your eyes, Kim."

The green ranger ran his fingers lightly over his son's features, playfully poking his nose and cheeks. The little boy reached out for him, a tiny hand wrapping around his father's pinky.

"He likes you," she murmured.

Tommy smiled. "I like him, too."

Ryan smiled back at him around his pacifier, revealing dimples in his chubby cheeks.

And it was in that moment that Tommy knew he would literally do anything for his son.

"You mind keeping an eye on him? I was in the middle of prepping his bottle," she said softly. Tommy nodded absently, eyes never leaving his son.

Distractedly, the green ranger made his way over to the couch. He sat down slowly, mindful not to jostle the baby too much. It scared him how small and fragile Ryan was, as if the tiniest thing could break him. A surge of protectiveness raced through the green ranger, fingers lightly brushing the tuft of dark curls on his son's head.

He wouldn't let anything hurt him.

"Let Kimberly know that I took off," Andros said as he set the diaper bag down next to the green ranger. "I have some business I need to take care of back at the base."

Tommy traced his thumb over his son's eyebrows. "How am I gonna do this, Andros?" His heart clenched when the little boy smiled around his pacifier. "I only just met him, and I can't even imagine leaving him."

His inevitable death was a lot easier to accept when he didn't think about those he'd leave behind. Leaving Kim pained him, but he could still mostly manage. Leaving Ryan felt damn near unbearable.

"When the time comes, you'll do what you have to." Andros peered down at him. "But don't think about that now. Enjoy your time with your son, Tommy. I'll see you later."

The green ranger mumbled goodbye to Andros, his heart still heavy with thoughts of leaving Kim and Ryan. The dark cloud began to disappear, however, the longer he looked into his son's bright eyes.

"Andros head out?" Tommy jumped when Kimberly appeared beside him, a small bottle of formula in her hand.

"Yeah, he had to go to the base for something."

"Ah." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her son's forehead. "Hey, baby, you hungry?"

Tommy bit his lip, knowing he needed to pass her the infant so she could feed him but not wanting to let his son go for even a second. The pink ranger shot him a curious glance, a small smile playing across her lips after a few seconds of watching them together.

"Would you like to feed him?" she asked, tone laced with amusement. The green ranger nodded sheepishly, taking the outstretched bottle from her.

Kimberly moved in front of him, adjusting his arms so that he was holding Ryan properly.

"Tilt him up a bit more… and cradle his head with your – that's it. Perfect." She reached into her back pocket, handing him a large piece of cloth. "Use this to wipe up anything that spills."

The green ranger removed the pacifier from Ryan's mouth, setting it down on the cloth. The baby's face scrunched up almost immediately, and he let out a few soft cries, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Aww shh, shh," Tommy whispered, pressing the nipple of the bottle to the infant's mouth. Ryan latched onto the bottle, sucking down the formula with surprising force.

"How much should he be drinking?" Tommy whispered as he watched in fascination.

"Try to get him to drink all of it," she said.

Tommy chuckled at the way the little boy gulped down his meal, eyes closed in concentration.

"I don't think that'll be a problem. He's a hungry little guy, isn't he?"

Kim snorted. "You have no idea." She reached up, smoothing out the curls at the baby's temple.

Tommy rubbed a thumb up and down Ryan's arm idly. "I can't believe he's already three months. I've missed so much," he said sadly. "What's he like?"

The pink ranger gave a bright smile. "He's a happy baby. Usually quiet – doesn't really cry much. He likes to be held and watches everything around him as much as he can. Almost like he's scared he'll miss something if he falls asleep."

Ryan's feeding eventually began to slow, and the green ranger frowned, removing the bottle.

"Hey, buddy, come on." The little boy looked at his father with sleepy eyes. "There's only a little bit more left. Think you can finish this up for daddy?" The teen flushed when he referred to himself as "daddy", knowing that Kim caught what he said from her intense gaze.

He pressed the nipple to his son's mouth, delighted when the boy latched on and began drinking again. After a few more seconds, the bottle was empty save for a few drops.

Kimberly took the bottle. "Very good. Now you just need to burp him." She got up and headed for the kitchen.

Tommy felt a small wave of uncertainty wash over him. "How do I do that?"

She grinned. "Put that cloth over your shoulder, then hold him so that his chin is on your shoulder. Rub his back in circles or pat him on the back until he gives a burp."

The green ranger shifted Ryan awkwardly on his arm and used his free hand to toss the cloth over his right shoulder. He turned his son around so that he was against his chest, forearm supporting his bottom. Gently, Tommy alternated between patting Ryan's back and rubbing firm circles to get him to burp. He could feel the little boy shifting slightly against him, as if trying to push himself up before eventually giving up and resting in his father's hold. It took less than a minute for the baby to give a soft burp.

The green ranger lifted the infant up slightly, removing the cloth from his shoulder. Ryan curled up in Tommy's arms, resting comfortably against his father's chest. Tommy smiled when he felt his son's tiny fists against his heart, his head tucked beneath Tommy's chin. The green ranger rubbed his hand up and down the child's back in a soothing motion.

He watched as Kim sat down in the loveseat next to him. "He's falling asleep," she said softly.

Tommy peered down at his son, heart melting at the sight of his baby curled against him peacefully.

"He just started sleeping through the night about a week ago," she told him. "Let's hope we're lucky for a repeat tonight."

The green ranger pulled Ryan closer to him, pressing a kiss against the top of the boy's head.

"We should put him in his bassinet."

"Not…not yet," Tommy whispered. "I want to hold him for a little while longer."

A soft smile spread across the pink ranger's face. "Okay."

He nodded, tracing the outlines of his son's face with his index finger. The reality of fatherhood scared the absolute shit out of the green ranger, but if it meant more moments like this, it couldn't all be bad, right?

Tommy held Ryan for nearly ten more minutes before reluctantly standing up. His arm had started to fall asleep from holding him, and he knew that meant it was time to put him in his own bed. Tommy followed Kimberly into her bedroom, gently lowering him into the bassinet on his back as Kim instructed. The green ranger watched her press some buttons on a nearby panel as she exited the room so that the lights shut off and white noise filtered into the bedroom. He cast one last gaze at his sleeping son before following behind her.

The two of them sat down on the couch. Tommy blinked against the stinging sensation in his eyes.

"Feels good, doesn't it? Holding him?"

He nodded, sniffling slightly. "I can't believe we made him."

"I know the feeling."

"Seeing him, holding him, it just – " He let out a deep breath. "I wish things were different."

The pink ranger gave a watery smile. "So do I," she whispered. Kimberly cleared her throat. "Tommy, I… today… Today shouldn't have happened."

"Maybe… but it did. And it felt good." As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Tommy sighed when she clambered off the couch and stood up.

"Doing things because they _feel good_ is what got us into this situation in the first place," she reminded him, tone sharp.

"Kim…"

"I need space," she said quickly, cutting him off.

"What?"

"You being here isn't helping me figure out how I feel about you."

He narrowed his eyes in realization. "You still have doubts."

" _Of course_ I still have doubts! All we've done is have sex. None of our issues have been resolved, Tommy," she said seriously. "Look, I know you're trying to do better now – I get that, and I'm happy about it, but you still have a lot to make up for as far as I'm concerned."

"Then why did you have sex with me? Multiple times, I might add."

She flushed under his intense gaze, the memories of their coupling no doubt playing through her head like they were his.

"Because I still make shit decisions." She chuckled wryly. "Sex has never been something we've had trouble with, Tommy. Whether we're happy or fighting, the bedroom has always been where we've clicked. Today was just more of the same."

The green ranger frowned, anger building in his chest from the way she could just easily dismiss what happened between them. He opened his mouth to argue with her, but he paused when he took a good look at her. Kimberly looked upset – _truly_ upset – and knowing he was responsible for making her feel that way made his anger dissipate.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Yes… no. I-I don't know."

He leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs. "Just say the word, and I can ask Andros to put me somewhere else. I don't wanna make things hard for you," he said softly.

She snorted. "Could've fooled me." At his glare, she sighed. "Sorry… it's a force of habit to fight with you."

"Do you want me to leave?" he repeated lowly.

"Would you give me that?"

"Yes… but I'd _hate_ it. I want to be here with you and our son." His jaw clenched. "But if that's what you need right now…" He shrugged.

Kimberly looked away from him, bottom lip tucked between her teeth.

"You can stay," she said after a long pause. "At the end of the day, you're Ryan's father. Given what you're doing right now, the least I can do is let you spend time with him while you're here." She ran her fingers through her hair. "But just give me some breathing room, all right?"

The green ranger nodded, making his best effort not to seem too happy at the news that he could stay. "Of course."

Kimberly gave a weak smile. "I'm going to bed." She pointed down the hall to a door along the wall. "You can find sheets and pillows in the linen closet to sleep with on the couch."

"Okay." It stung a little that she didn't offer to let him sleep in the same bed as her, but he knew that was probably a long shot.

"Goodnight, Tommy," she whispered, walking off to her bedroom.

He watched her disappear inside her bedroom, the door sliding closed with a soft click.

"Goodnight, Kim."

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Living Room**

 **KO-35**

 **Next Day, Local time, Early Morning**

"You remember where the – ?"

"Yes."

"And you know where to – "

"I got it, Kim."

"Because if you don't, he's going to – "

"Kimberly." The green ranger gave her a pointed look. "Go. We'll be fine, won't we, buddy?"

Tommy was sitting on the couch in a black tank top and gray sweatpants. Ryan sat in his lap wearing a yellow and gray onesie, his polka dot pacifier in his mouth as he watched his mother.

The pink ranger leaned down to kiss her son on the forehead, playfully biting his hand when he reached for her. Her playful demeanor disappeared when she locked eyes with the green ranger.

"Right." She cleared her throat. "I'll see you later then."

Tommy lifted Ryan's hand and made him wave goodbye to her. She rolled her eyes as she headed out the front door.

Once she was gone, he sighed. "Looks like your mommy is still acting a little weird, buddy." Tommy lifted Ryan up and turned the baby to face him. "Maybe she'll be in a better mood when she gets home. What do you think?"

Ryan stared at him for several seconds before smiling and reaching for him.

"Yeah, me, too."

Tommy was admittedly nervous about spending the day alone with his son, but he was also kind of looking forward to it.

He pressed kisses all over his son's cheeks, causing the little boy's face to scrunch up. Tommy lay the baby down on his thighs so that Ryan was looking up at him.

The green ranger frowned. Now was the time he'd usually do his morning workout, but he was confined to the house for the next few days. He looked around the living room – maybe if he moved some things around…

"Okay." He looked down at Ryan. "Wanna watch me do my workout?"

The three-month-old wriggled in his father's lap.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Tommy gently placed his son in the nearby bassinet. He then started moving the living room furniture to clear space for him to move around. Once he had enough space, he turned to Ryan and bowed.

The green ranger went through the motion of one of his katas, taking deep, controlled breaths throughout. He could see Ryan watching him curiously, body still as he devoted all of his attention to his father's movements. Tommy grinned and continued with his kata.

It seemed Ryan was just as captivated by martial arts as he was.

' _Maybe I should talk to Kim about him taking lessons when he'd old enough,'_ he thought as his kata came to an end.

"Would you like that, buddy?" he asked, walking over to his son. Ryan squirmed and reached for him.

"Yeah, you do." He picked his son up. "C'mon, buddy."

Tommy got down on the floor and gently laid Ryan on his back. He then got into a planking position over the baby.

"Ready?" The green ranger bent down until he was almost eye level with his son. "One."

He pushed himself back up and then descended again. "Two."

Ryan's eyes lit up each time his father came back down to complete a pushup. In his excitement, he spit out his pacifier, squealing with happiness. His little feet kicked out excitedly and his arms flailed. Tommy laughed at his reaction.

The green ranger continued their little game until he reached two hundred pushups, arms burning from the exertion. He sat back on his knees and looked down at Ryan.

"You wanna exercise, too?"

The baby made unintelligible noises in response that Tommy took for agreement to the idea. Tommy sat with his legs crossed and grabbed his son's feet.

"Let's do some bicycle kicks. Ready?"

He gently pushed Ryan's right leg towards his chest while extending his left. He then alternated so that the left was bent and the right was extended. He continued alternating legs until they went through ten cycles.

"Good job, buddy," he said tickling his son's stomach. "All right, let's do some lifts."

The green ranger held out his index fingers for Ryan to grab. When the boy had a tight grip, he slowly extended his arms out above him. Tommy then moved his hands down, bending the baby's arms towards his chest before extending them out again.

"One! Two! Three!" he cheered Ryan on in exaggerated fashion, chuckling at the boy's excited reaction. "C'mon, Ryan, just seven more!"

When the last lift was achieved, Tommy grinned and scooped Ryan up into his arms. "Aw, man! You did so good!"

Ryan's face scrunched up, and he began to fidget, tears welling up in his eyes. The green ranger acted quickly and gave him his pacifier.

"What's wrong?" He took a look at the clock on the wall. "Crap… it's time for you to eat."

They headed into the kitchen, and the green ranger opened the refrigerator. He grabbed one of the bottles Kim had prepared for the day and placed it in the bottle warmer. He set the timer like Kim showed him.

He had made sure to pay close attention to all of Kim's instructions on what to do. He was terrified he might do something horribly wrong.

"It's okay," he murmured into Ryan's hair when the infant grew fussy. He pressed a kiss against the top of his son's hair.

He grabbed the bottle when it finished warming up, testing the temperature by placing a drop on the inside of his wrist. Ryan spit out his pacifier and began to cry in earnest, face growing red.

"All right." Tommy walked them back into the living room and sat on the couch. "Here you go."

Ryan latched on to the nipple of the bottle and quieted immediately. The green ranger sighed, relieved that his son had finally stopped crying. He wiped away the tears from his chubby cheeks and watched Ryan drink down his meal. Tommy continued to watch his son eat, a mix of conflicting emotions building in his chest.

"I-I had a dream once – about us. You, me, and Kimberly," he said. "You were old enough to talk, and Kim and I were married. We were at my mom's house for a visit – Jason was there, too." He brushed his thumb across Ryan's forehead. "We were all happy."

The green ranger frowned. "I wish I hadn't fucked that up for you," he whispered.

Ryan looked up at him curiously, as if he could tell Tommy was talking to him.

"You're never going to know the kind, beautiful person my mother was. You're never going to know how much fun your grandpa could be." His eyes stung from the tears that threatened to fall. "You'll probably never know about Angel Grove or Kim's family or the Juice Bar or what Earth was like before the invasion."

Ryan grabbed the hand that was smoothing down his curls.

Tommy leaned back into the couch and sighed. "You're going to hear awful things about me when you grow up. That I was heartless– evil." He looked down at Ryan. "They're going to tell you that Jason is your father, not me."

Ryan released the bottle once it was empty and watched his father with curious eyes.

The green ranger gave a watery smile.

"One day you'll learn the truth about me… and when you do, I'll deserve all the hate you'll feel for me. I took everything away from you, and you don't even realize if yet," Tommy said softly.

It was difficult to say out loud, but he knew it was true.

"With everything I've done, I know I don't deserve to have any place in your life… but I need you to find a way to look past it. I need for you not to hate me."

The green ranger knew he was being unfair putting such a request on his son. Hell, he couldn't even forgive his dad for cheating on his mom despite his otherwise spotless history as a father. To expect Ryan to overlook everything he'd done as the green ranger and still love him was beyond hypocritical.

Still, he didn't care.

It was pretty much a certainty at this point that he was going to die. If his son was his only living relative, he at least wanted the boy to hold some love in his heart for him.

Tommy wiped his eyes and sniffled. "Listen to me… trying to hold a baby to a promise he can't even agree to."

He ran his free hand over his face and closed his eyes. He jumped when he felt Ryan jerk in his arms. Tommy looked down at his son who was smiling up at him, dimples showing.

It was almost as if…

The green ranger choked out a laugh. Logically, he knew there was no way that Ryan could understand him – he was way too little.

But he couldn't help but wonder…

He reached down and tapped his son's nose. "Is that what you're trying to tell me? You understood what I said?"

Ryan babbled softly and grabbed his hand, pulling it towards his mouth. He looked up at Tommy and squeezed his hand.

The green ranger grinned and leaned down, pressing a kiss to the infant's forehead. "Thank you."

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Living Room**

 **KO-35**

 **Local time, Early Evening**

"Whoa!"

The green ranger lifted the diaper just in time to prevent his son from peeing on him. He glared down at the little boy who wore an innocent expression.

"You're a _sneaky_ little guy, aren't you?"

Ryan smiled around his pacifier.

When the coast was clear, Tommy put the diaper back down and reached for Ryan's legs. The baby grew excited and started flailing, kicking his arms and legs. Tommy was somewhere between exasperated and amused from his antics.

"Ha!" he yelled when he successfully caught his feet. "Gotcha."

The infant spit out his pacifier and squealed, arms reaching for his father.

"Nope, I gotta get you changed first, buddy. Then we can play, all right?"

The green ranger wiped his son down and changed his diaper, securing a fresh one with a sigh. Ryan started to kick again when Tommy tried to button up his onesie, twisting and jerking to the point where the green ranger groaned.

"Come on, Ryan. Just hold still, please."

The three-month-old ignored him and kept flailing his limbs. Tommy searched around for something he could give the baby to distract him but found nothing. He left him on the changing table and went into Kim's room, searching the bassinet for something he could give him.

The green ranger froze when he saw something green sticking out beneath a blanket in the corner of the crib. He pulled out the object and smiled at the sight of the green dragon stuffed animal that he gave Kimberly last year. It was a little worse for wear, but it was definitely the same one.

Of all the toys she could have given him…

The green ranger broke from his thoughts at Ryan's squealing and headed back out to the living room. The baby flailed again when he saw his father. Tommy handed him the stuffed animal, grinning at the possessive way his son clutched to it. With Ryan thoroughly distracted, the green ranger was able to button up his onesie again.

After washing his hands in the guest bathroom, Tommy picked up his son and the toy, carrying them both with him to the couch. He maneuvered so that he was lying on his back with Ryan on his chest. The infant had one hand wrapped around the tail of his toy, while the other was curled around Tommy's shirt. He brought his hand to his mouth and sucked his fist, babbling softly to himself. The green ranger rubbed his hand up and down his son's back, lulling the little boy to sleep.

Tommy could feel his eyes drifting close when the front door opened. He turned to see Kimberly enter the house and pressed his index finger against his lips to signal for her to be quiet. She nodded and headed to the back of the house.

Tommy blinked when a bright flash suddenly went off in the room. He looked up to see Kim standing a few feet away with a camera in hand. She took a few more pictures of them on the couch, a soft smile on her face as she looked at the pictures and headed into her room.

The green ranger waited a few more minutes before getting up slowly. He cradled Ryan and the stuffed animal to his chest and headed for the nursery, not wanting to disturb Kim in her room. The baby began to fidget and Tommy rocked him gently until Ryan fell back into a restless slumber. Tommy placed him into his crib so that he was resting on his back with the stuffed dragon at his side. He reached down and stroked his son's cheek.

"Night, little man."

He watched his son for just a little longer before shutting off the light to the room and turning on the white noise machine on his way out. Rustling in the kitchen let him know where Kimberly was, and he headed in her direction. Tommy took a seat at the kitchen table and sighed. He flashed a quick smile at her curious look.

"Long day?" she asked.

He sagged into his seat. "Babies are hard."

The pink ranger chuckled as she stirred her tea. "It was one day, Tommy."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "Guess it's nothing compared to what you've dealt with."

"You would be correct," she said sarcastically. "Tea?"

"Yes, please."

She poured him some in a mug and handed it to him before making more for herself.

"Thanks."

Kim nodded and took the seat across from him. "So… how was it? Being daddy for the day?"

"Honestly? Nerve-wracking. I tried to play it cool this morning, but I wasn't sure how the day would go without you." He scratched the table. "I was terrified I'd drop him or something."

"But you didn't."

"No." Tommy smiled. "Once I stopped overthinking everything, things gelled for me."

"If what I walked in on was any indication, I'd have to agree." The pink ranger took a sip of her drink. "You're…very good with him."

He noticed the surprise in her tone but didn't comment on it.

"Ryan's amazing, Kim," the green ranger said, voice tinged with awe. "So much energy… and I can already see his personality coming through. He's a funny little guy – it'll be interesting to see how that plays out when he's ol – "

Tommy's smile faded when he realized what he'd almost said. He wouldn't be around when Ryan was older, and that knowledge allowed an awkward silence to settle over the kitchen.

The green ranger cleared his throat. "So, uh… how was your day?"

Kimberly flashed a grateful smile. "Uneventful, really."

"What is it that you do?"

"One of the rebels owns a café here – think a high-tech version of Ernie's Juice Bar." She smiled wistfully. "The atmosphere is almost the same. Sometimes, I catch myself waiting for Ernie to come from out back…" She shook her head, her gaze wistful. "Anyway, the owner, Jax, gave me a job shortly after Ryan was born. The money's decent, especially considering I live here without paying rent or utilities, and it keeps me from being cooped up in the house all day."

He nodded, glad to see she was able to go out into the city. Kim was too much of a social butterfly to live in solitude.

"Is that where you met the friends you talked about before?"

"Yeah. Everyone there is part of the rebel group, so I know I can trust them."

"That also means it's the safest place for you to hide in plain sight," he reasoned.

"Yeah, that was Zhane's idea." Kim stared down at the contents of her mug. "Tommy…can I be honest with you about something?"

"Of course," he said softly.

"I wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of leaving you alone with Ryan today."

He raised an eyebrow at this, though not totally surprised. When he offered to watch Ryan for the day while she went to work, he was sure she was going to tell him no.

"Then why did you?"

"Yesterday when you were sleeping, Andros and I talked. He gave me some things to consider that made me decide to give you a chance."

"Like?"

When he saw that it was clear that Kim wasn't going to share, he decided to give her a pass.

"Well, regardless… thank you. It means a lot to me to be able to spend time with him."

She nodded.

"So… do you need me to watch him again tomorrow?"

Kim shook her head. "I don't have to work tomorrow, so I'll be here."

"Ah. Right." The green ranger played with the handle of his mug. "Maybe we can watch him together then?"

Kimberly paused mid-sip and stared at him over the rim of her cup. She drank down her tea and placed the mug back on the table.

"Maybe."

Tommy gulped down his tea and got up, washing the cup in the sink. A picture on the refrigerator caught his attention, a wave of sadness washing over him. It was a picture of Kimberly, Billy, Zack, Trini, and Jason at Angel Grove Park, back before he came to town. They were wearing green shirts with the words "CLEAN UP CLUB" on them and were surrounded by large, black trash bags.

Brown eyes settled on a laughing Zack, who even in a photograph was the most exuberant one of the group. It was such a stark contrast from the man he left on the ground back in Washington D.C.

"He's doing better," Kim said from behind him, startling the green ranger. She placed her mug in the sink. "He was in a coma for a few weeks, but now he's up. Physical therapy's been a real bitch."

Tommy closed his eyes as an uncomfortable tightness formed in his chest. His head began to throb at the thought of Zack struggling to regain his mobility.

"I didn't…" He licked his lips. "I didn't want that for him. I didn't mean to…"

His fingers tightened around the mug as he scrubbed it, and it strained from the pressure of his grip. Kimberly grabbed his wrist and squeezed, gently coaxing him to relax his grip. She took the mug from him and rinsed it off before placing it back in the dish rack. She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.

"What happened to Zack was the result of a lot of bad decisions from the people around him. No single person is to blame for what happened, Tommy… not even you."

The green ranger nodded and blinked back tears.

She gave his wrist another squeeze. "I'll make dinner when you're done in here."

"Yeah," he whispered. He continued washing the other dishes in the sink, her words echoing in his head.

She was right that the blame for Zack's current situation wasn't all on him, though he knew the bulk of it certainly was. And while her words didn't do much in the way of changing that, it did make him feel better that she even said those words to him given how angry she was about Zack the last time they spoke.

Maybe things were getting better between them…

' _No, no,'_ he chided himself. _'You're just setting yourself up for disappointment. It doesn't mean anything.'_

Tommy turned off the water and dried off his hands on a nearby dishtowel. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen and silently watched the pink ranger. She was sitting on the loveseat, hair hanging over her right shoulder. She chewed on her bottom lip as she read over electronic documents on a tablet, her face scrunched up in concentration.

Kimberly turned as if she could feel him watching her and gave a soft smile. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight, and he swallowed thickly before smiling back.

Jesus, it was junior year all over again.

' _It doesn't mean anything,'_ he reminded himself.

But just like all those years ago when they'd first met, he couldn't help wanting it to.

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Living Room**

 **KO-35**

 **Next Day, Local time, Early Morning**

Ryan squealed loudly when his father blew raspberries on his stomach, his little arms and feet waving wildly.

"Ow," Tommy groaned when a foot collided with his chin. He heard Kim snort from above.

"I warned you…" she said mockingly.

"Yeah, yeah." The green ranger bent down and blew another raspberry on his son's stomach.

Tommy and Ryan lay on the living room floor, the three-month-old on his back while his father lay on his stomach leaning over him. Kim sat on the couch above them, a book in her lap.

The three of them had spent the entire day together in the house. Initially, the green ranger wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. Kim had been clear about wanting space, and this seemed to be exactly the type of thing to set her off, but things had actually turned out okay.

In fact, he was surprised how much he enjoyed spending time together. It was almost like they were a real family.

"I got your feet! I got your _– oh my god!_ " He gagged at the noxious smell.

"Wow, that was a big one," Kim commented. She closed her book and placed it on the end table.

The green ranger gagged again. "Kimberly, I think I'm going to puke…"

She got up from the couch and bent down, picking Ryan up. "Come on, baby, let's get you changed so your daddy doesn't throw up all over the floor."

Tommy gave himself a moment to breathe in fresh air before getting up and following her. He reached over her shoulder for his son's hand, poking gently until Ryan grabbed his finger.

"You're changing him," she said as she put the baby down on the changing table.

"Aw, what?" he complained. "Why do I have to do it?"

She smiled at him. "Because _I_ do this all the time, and I wouldn't want to rob you of the opportunity."

Tommy glared at her and grabbed a clean diaper. "How kind."

As expected, changing Ryan's diaper was a battle in and of itself. The baby seemed even more excited than usual this time around, making it extremely difficult for Tommy to keep him still.

"A little help would be nice," he said dryly.

"Oh no, you're doing great," she laughed.

The green ranger continued to struggle for some time with the energetic baby. He had nearly given up when Kim moved to stand beside him and handed Ryan his pacifier, effectively catching his attention. She cooed and tickled him, distracting him long enough to allow Tommy to get him cleaned up and in a fresh diaper.

Tommy left Kim to redress Ryan while he went to wash his hands in the guest bathroom. When he returned, Kim was holding Ryan in her arms. The little boy was squirming, face scrunching up as if he was about to cry. He walked up and placed a comforting hand on his son's head.

"Get me a bottle?" she asked as she rocked Ryan gently. "He's hungry."

Tommy headed into the kitchen and grabbed the can of baby formula, mixing it with the water in a bottle. He warmed the bottle up for a few seconds before removing it, testing a few drops on his inner arm first before heading back out into the living room.

Ryan was full-on crying by the time Tommy returned. He watched her give their son the bottle, quelling his cries to soft little sniffles as he drank down his meal.

"There you go, buddy," Tommy murmured, brushing a hand over his hair. "You're good now."

He could feel Kimberly looking at him as he spoke to their son. Tommy looked down at her, startled by how intensely she was watching him.

"What?" he asked, uncomfortable from her scrutiny.

She looked back down at Ryan. "It's nothing."

Ryan held on to Kimberly's hand as he ate, eyes moving between his parents. He blinked sleepily up at them, his drinking now much slower than when he first started. Tommy grabbed a cloth diaper from the nursery and put it over his shoulder. He reached for Ryan once he finished eating and held him against his shoulder, patting his back gently to get him to burp.

The green ranger turned to see Kim watching him intently again, a strange expression on her face.

"What?" he asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He could've sworn he was doing this right…

She just shook her head and headed towards the kitchen, the empty bottle and discarded pacifier in hand.

Tommy smiled when Ryan gave a soft burp in his ear. "Good job."

He grabbed a clean pacifier and gave it to his son, who by now was resting comfortably against his father's shoulder. The green ranger could tell the boy would be out cold in a few minutes.

"All right," he whispered, setting Ryan down in the nearby bassinet. "I need to go help your mom in the kitchen, but I'll be back buddy." He pressed a kiss to the child's forehead. "Promise."

Tommy headed into the kitchen where Kim was washing the dishes from the day. He stood beside her and grabbed a sponge.

"I wash, you rinse?" he asked. She eyed him weirdly again before nodding.

The two of them worked in silence as they cleaned the dishes, eventually reaching a nice rhythm together. At one point, the nipple of one of the baby bottles slipped out of Kimberly's hand and nearly fell down the drain. In her haste to grab it, she turned the side spray in Tommy's direction.

He yelped when he was suddenly blasted with water, his shirt and jeans now drenched. The pink ranger covered her mouth and gasped.

"Oh my god," she said laughing. "I didn't mean to – " Her eyes widened. "Tommy… NO!"

The green ranger rushed her, snatching the nozzle and pointing it straight at her face. Kimberly squealed and ran away from him to the other side of the kitchen. He gave chase, nearly slipping on the wet tile.

The pink ranger pushed herself as far into the corner as she could. Tommy grinned, squeezing the side spray so that it shot water at her, nearly hitting her.

"C'mon, Kimmy," he teased. "Gotta come over here eventually."

There were two doors that she could use to leave the kitchen, but both required getting past the green ranger to get there.

He could see her eyes darting between each door as if weighing her options. In a surprising burst of speed, Kimberly took off towards the door that led to the living room. Thinking quickly, the green ranger scrambled around the counter and reached out, snagging her around the waist.

Kim screamed and twisted in his grasp, but he held on tight, pulling her into his chest. Tommy turned placed the nozzle beneath her shirt and squeezed, pulling a surprised yelp from the now drenched pink ranger. He then placed it on top of her head and blasted her again.

He laughed when she tried to get away from him, dropping the spray on the ground and holding tight so she couldn't escape. Kimberly tried to break free by stepping on his foot, but he dodged the attack. He pressed closer to her so that she was pinned between him and the counter.

Tommy was acutely aware of their proximity, and given the way Kim's breathing had suddenly turned shallow, he could tell she was, too. He licked his lips nervously, unsure if he should make a move.

"Am I interrupting?"

The two turned to see Andros standing in the doorway, lips quirked as if he was fighting a smile. Ryan was in his arms watching them sleepily, pacifier in his mouth.

The green ranger rolled his eyes. "Obviously, you're – "

"Andros!" Kim said quickly, pushing an annoyed Tommy away from her.

"I would have knocked but... it's the kitchen."

The tips of Kimberly's ears turned red. She walked over and took Ryan from him. "Erm…what brings you by?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid." He grew serious and turned to the green ranger. "The hospital received a transmission today from Serpentera. You are to return to the ship tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" the green ranger repeated slowly.

"Why so soon?" Kim asked.

"Zedd did not disclose why Tommy was needed, just that he feels the green ranger has had more than enough time to recover and should return at once."

"Can't we stall him?" the green ranger asked.

"We've been stalling as long as we can. It seems Zedd's patience has worn thin. We can't delay any longer."

Kim opened her mouth to say something to Andros, but Tommy didn't catch what she said. The rest of the conversation became background noise from that point forward for the green ranger. All he could focus on was that his time was up.

He had to go back.

"How long?" he whispered. Kim and Andros stopped talking and turned to him.

"How long what?" Andros asked, though Tommy suspected he already knew what the question was.

"How long until I have to leave?"

The red space ranger sighed. "A ship will arrive to transport you from the hospital to Serpentera at mid-morning."

Tommy closed his eyes. That gave him just under half a day.

"I will arrange for your transportation to the hospital."

"Thanks." The green ranger ran a hand over his face. "If that's all you came here for, I'll walk you out."

Tommy didn't mean to be so short with the space ranger – Andros just had the unfortunate job of being the bearer of bad news.

He followed behind the KOan with a scowl. Once at the door, Andros turned to him with a solemn expression.

"I truly am sorry, Tommy."

Tommy ran his fingers through his hair in frustration once the front door closed.

"You okay?"

He turned to see Kim looking at him with a worried expression. Ryan was curled into her chest, eyes finally closed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…" He put his hands on his hips and walked over to them. He placed a hand on top of Ryan's head and smoothed down his curls. The now sleeping baby squirmed slightly at his father's touch but did not wake.

"I thought I'd have more time."

Kimberly squeezed his hand, her expression sympathetic. She excused herself and headed for the nursery to put Ryan in his crib.

The green ranger turned and sat on the couch, head in his hands. He knew this was coming – it wasn't a surprise – but it had been nice to let himself escape all the shit going on, even if for just a little while. He hadn't had to worry about the war, the mission, or Zedd since arriving to KO-35.

' _Stupid,'_ he scolded himself.

He had foolishly allowed himself to get comfortable with the idea of being part of a family – of _this_ family. He'd gotten a glimpse of what life would be like if he and Kim were raising Ryan together, and it had been addicting, to say the least.

And now he was expected to just give that all up? Pretend like none if it happened and carry on with business as usual?

"God… fuckin' _dammit_ ," he swore under his breath.

Tommy tensed when he felt the couch dip beside him. Kim sat down next to him, her thigh brushing against his.

"You still have time," she reminded him gently.

"Yeah." He gave a half-smile. "Just not enough."

Kimberly sighed. "I wasn't sure about you being here at first… and now I'm wondering if it was such a good idea. Regardless of how I feel about you, I can see how happy you were being here, Tommy. Taking that away from you makes me think you'd have been better off never – "

"Don't," he interrupted gently. "It was a chance to be close to you again. Doesn't matter if it's ten years or ten minutes, I'm always going to take it."

The pink ranger stared at him with wide eyes, clearly surprised by his words. She broke the intense eye contact and cleared her throat.

"How about the three of us take a walk tomorrow before you head out? The area's deserted, so no one will see you. It'll give us a chance to get some fresh air."

The green ranger was hit with an intense wave of déjà vu all of a sudden. The way she spoke to him was so reminiscent of the old Kimberly – the Kimberly who would say or do anything within her power to make someone feel better, even if it was someone like him who damn sure didn't deserve it.

She nudged his thigh. "What do you think?"

He took her in with a heavy heart. Why couldn't he just have a little more time? Months spent worrying over her and Ryan, and he only got a measly three days to spend with them. This was the last time he'd see either of them before he was gone for good.

It wasn't fair.

"Tommy?"

He blinked when he realized he'd been staring at her.

"Are you all right?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah, I just…" He studied her face intently, a lump forming in his throat. "You're beautiful," he said absently.

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"I didn't tell you that enough, did I?" His face scrunched up in confusion. "Did I ever tell you that?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "Yeah, you did."

"Oh." The green ranger reached over and grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together. "I should have told you more often."

"Tommy…"

He pulled her hand into his lap. "I never treated you right. I should've done better."

She squeezed his hand tight – from understanding or repressed anger, he wasn't entirely sure. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"I hate how I made you feel when – when everything…" He licked his lips. "I treated you like how you felt didn't matter. Like _you_ didn't matter. I hate that I couldn't just – "

The green ranger paused and took a deep breath to quell his surging emotions.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I-I know you would do things differently if you – "

" _No_. No, I wouldn't," he said quickly. "I don't regret what's happened because it gave us Ryan, and I wouldn't trade him for anything… but all of the pain that I caused you? You didn't deserve any of that."

The pink ranger looked down at their joined hands and then back up at him, brown eyes lit up with an emotion he couldn't place. She reached out and cupped his jaw with her left hand, a thumb running over his lips.

" _You_ … _this_ is the Tommy I fell in love with…" She smiled sadly, eyes searching his face. "I've missed _you_ …"

He placed his hand over hers and swallowed thickly.

"I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to figure it out," he rasped, eyes wet. "I wasn't able to be the person you needed me to be until… until it was too late."

Kimberly wiped her eyes with the back of her free hand.

He chuckled and gave a tiny grin. "I really made a mess of things, didn't I?"

The pink ranger laughed and sniffled slightly. Brown eyes trailed over her features, stopping at her lips. He glanced back up to lock eyes with her.

"It's okay," she whispered.

The green ranger leaned forward, pausing just before kissing her to confirm she was really okay with this. Sensing no hesitation, he cupped the sides of her face and pulled her into a soft kiss.

He sighed from the taste of her, sucking her tongue into his mouth with a soft moan. Kimberly gripped his shirt tightly, stretching the fabric as she pulled at him. Tommy wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her onto his lap.

The two kissed sensually, breaking contact only to take quick breaths. Tommy trailed kisses across Kim's collarbone, while his hands slid up her shirt up to expose her breasts. He undid her bra and moved it out of the way, sucking each nipple into his mouth with a soft groan. Kim ran her fingers in his hair and arched her back so he could take more of her into his mouth.

The green ranger pulled back and ran his hands up and down her thighs, reaching beneath her skirt and pushing her panties to the side in the process. He ran his fingers up and down her slit, teasing the sensitive flesh. Kimberly moaned high in her throat and kissed him, grinding hard against his fingers.

Long fingers slid up to cup her face as they kissed, tongues colliding hotly. He shivered when her hands slid between their bodies and grabbed his fly. Soft hands undid his jeans and reached inside to grab his cock. He gasped at the contact, already hard and ready for her.

The pink ranger pulled her shirt off. and Tommy sat back, grabbing her breasts and kneading them firmly. He took his shirt off next, letting it join hers on the living room floor. Kimberly leaned down again and kissed him, gasping into his mouth as he continued playing with her sensitive breasts.

The green ranger reached down and pressed the head of him against her entrance. He wrapped an arm around her back and pushed up, sliding his cock into her with a rough moan. He grabbed her hips, guiding her up and down his cock.

Their movements were slow at first but gradually gained speed. Tommy took a bouncing nipple into his mouth, sucking on it until it hardened against his tongue. He moved to the other one and did the same, biting down on it gently with his teeth. She moaned weakly, a hand pressed against the back of his head holding him to her.

He gripped her ass and brought her down harder on him, his cock now slick from being inside her. The pink ranger bit her bottom lip and pressed a hand against his chest. Tommy could see the strain in her face as she tried to suppress her moans. His chest swelled arrogantly knowing how difficult he was making it for her to keep her cries in check. He brought her down harder on him, driving his cock deep into her pussy. She dug her nails into his shoulders and whimpered his name, walls clamping down on him as she came.

Kim pressed her forehead against his as she rode out her orgasm. He ran his hands up and down her back, groaning against her mouth as she worked herself on his cock. Tommy trailed kisses from her collarbone to her neck, squeezing her ass and giving it a soft slap. He sped up his strokes, adding more power behind each thrust. She met him with equal fervor, an urgency to her movements that hinted at another fast-approaching climax. The pink ranger gripped the cushions behind his head and cried out in pleasure for more, her thighs quivering on either side of him. Her walls clamped down on him again, and her head flew back, nails digging into his chest as a desperate moan escaped her when she crested.

Tommy couldn't take the sweet torture anymore, and without thinking, he grabbed hold of her hips and pulled her down to sink onto his erection as deep as he could go. He rode her hard through her orgasm, pulling sharp cries and gasps from the trembling pink ranger. She was so wet and soft, and the sight of her small frame taking him so good gave him such a surge of power that he came inside her with unexpected force.

Tommy gripped her ass hard and shivered as he pumped his seed into her slick channel. He gave sporadic thrusts into her contracting walls, inadvertently prolonging his orgasm in his attempt to relish hers.

The green ranger gasped into her chest when his climax finally came to an end. He pressed lazy kisses to her chest and neck, trailing up to the sensitive spot behind her ear. He shivered when her fingers carded through his hair.

"Tommy."

He pulled back to look at her, nerves on edge as he waited for her to tell him it was a mistake.

Kimberly pushed his arms so that they dropped from around her, allowing her to move. She climbed off of him and stood on shaky legs, gathering up her shirt and bra from the floor. He watched her with guarded eyes, tucking himself back into his boxers and zipping up his fly as he waited. She approached him slowly, still topless with her bottom lip tucked between her teeth.

"Come on," she whispered, her left hand extended towards him.

The green ranger stared at the offered hand for a few seconds before grabbing it and pushing off of the couch. He followed behind Kimberly quietly as she led him into her bedroom, already in the process unzipping his jeans and stroking himself back to full hardness with his free hand.

They crossed the threshold of her room and the door slid shut behind them, not opening again for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Kimberly's Bathroom**

 **KO-35**

 **Next Day, Local time, Early Morning**

The green ranger wiped the mirror down so that he could see his reflection through the steam. He dried his hair with the hand towel, tufts sticking out in various directions. Tommy grabbed a larger towel and wrapped it around his waist.

He went through his normal routine, first putting on deodorant and then brushing his teeth. He carefully trimmed his beard so that only a small amount of hair remained, creating a nice five o'clock shadow. He wiped his face down with the hand towel before tossing it into the hamper. The green ranger put on his boxers and looked at himself in the mirror.

The scratches and bite marks on his skin brought memories of their intense night together to the forefront of his mind. Every moan, every caress – every moment was burned into his mind. From the way Kimberly cried and screamed his name when he took her from behind against the window to how he stuttered her name when she sucked him straight to a knee-buckling orgasm.

It was a night he'd never be able to forget.

The green ranger headed for the bedroom, pausing in the doorway to take in the sight before him. Kimberly lay curled up on her side of the bed in a pink and blue sundress, hair spread out on the pillow like a halo as she looked down at a wide-awake Ryan with soft eyes. The infant was on his back looking at her, his right hand reaching out to grab her hair while he sucked on his fist. Tommy's lips quirked up into a small smile as he watched the child kick excitedly from Kimberly's soft cooing. The green ranger joined them on the bed, playfully crawling over Ryan and blowing onto his stomach so that the child squealed.

Tommy looked up to see Kim watching him, her expression hard to get a read on.

"Kim?"

"You should get dressed," she whispered. "You don't have much time before you have to leave."

The green ranger frowned and looked back at Ryan. "Right."

He took one more playful bite at the baby's stomach before getting up from the bed. Tommy rummaged through his duffel bag for something to wear, settling on a green tank top, a pair of dark denim jeans and a black compression hoodie. Kim picked up Ryan and left the bedroom. From the rustling sounds he heard, Tommy assumed she was changing his diaper.

The green ranger put on his clothes, along with a pair of socks and black running shoes. His clothes from the last two days sat on the nightstand, freshly washed and folded by the pink ranger. He placed them in his duffel bag and zipped it up. Tommy headed out into the living room with his bag and dropped it on the couch.

"You ready?" Kim asked coming out of the nursery. She had what looked like a poorly-designed bag hanging from her arm.

"What's that?"

"A baby carrier." She handed it to him. "Put it on."

The green ranger took it from her and held it up in front of him. It was a confusing jumble of straps and buckles, and he immediately felt intimidated. He looked over at Kimberly helplessly.

She rolled her eyes and set Ryan down in the nearby bassinet. "Come here."

The pink ranger helped Tommy put on the carrier, slipping it over his shoulders and securing it around his waist. It was initially very tight on him as it was set to fit her frame, and they worked together to adjust it for his build.

"There we go." She picked up their son and passed him to Tommy. "Hold him, and I'll strap him in."

Tommy watched with keen interest as she got Ryan situated in the carrier. It only took a few seconds of maneuvering before the infant was securely strapped in, chest to chest with his father. Ryan looked up at him, smiling around his pacifier. The green ranger gave him his fingers to grab onto and stretched out his arms.

A bright flash startled Tommy, and he turned to see Kimberly holding her camera.

"Couldn't resist," she teased before setting the camera down. "Ready?"

They headed outside and began walking around the front yard. It was still early in the morning, so it wasn't too bright or too hot outside yet.

A creature that looked similar to a butterfly flew close to them, and Ryan squirmed in his carrier to grab it. Tommy pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head.

"So… what's the plan when you get back?"

Tommy sighed. "Keep taking down Zedd's resources, I guess. We've made a lot of progress, but there's still work to be done. It's gonna be harder now that he knows the attacks are happening, but we have to keep going."

Kim nodded. "I see."

"What about you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing will really change for me. I'll go to work like usual, take care of Ryan, help out the team where I can…" She looked around. "KO-35 is our home now."

Ryan rest his head against his father's chest, his little hands curled up into fists. Tommy smiled and pressed another kiss to his head.

He looked over at Kimberly and frowned. Neither of them had said a word about last night, and it was eating away at him not talking about it. Time was running out – it was now or never.

"Kimberly… last night was…" He paused searching for the right words. "Did it mean to me what it did to you?"

She bit her lip and avoided his gaze. He exhaled and nodded to mask his hurt.

"Right, of course." He caressed the back of his son's head. "Guess it doesn't really matter. Not like anything would come of it with – "

"Can I ask you something?" she interrupted.

Tommy looked down at her curiously. "Sure."

"What would you do if things turned out differently?" He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You keep saying this is going to end with you dying, but what if it didn't?" She stared down at the ground. "What if we defeated Zedd and the Eltarians pardoned you? What if you actually survived it all?"

The green ranger sighed. "That's not going to happen, Kimberly."

"Humor me," she said.

Tommy sighed. "Can't say I really gave it much thought…" He played with Ryan's hands. "But I guess I'd try and have a normal life, at least as normal as it could be after all this shit. I'd make things work with you, be a permanent part of Ryan's life… if you were willing."

"What if I were?" she whispered.

Tommy stopped walking and turned to face her, body now tense. "Are you?"

"I wasn't before, you know that… but these last few days have shown me…I don't know…" She crossed her arms over her chest. "There might be reason to reconsider."

His heart thudded in his chest. "Kim…"

"If you're asking me to give you an answer right now, I can't do that," she said softly. "And I can't forgive you for everything you've done…not yet."

"Not yet…" He licked his lips. "So, there's a chance you could?"

"Whether or not I can won't matter if you're dead."

A loud slam grabbed their attention, and they turned to see Andros leaving a hovercar and heading in their direction.

It was time to go.

Tommy ran his fingers through his hair, mind swimming from the realization that there was actually a chance they could be together if he survived this.

"Kim, I don't think that I can – "

"I thought I was the one who didn't give others enough credit," she said, tossing his words from the day he arrived back at him.

He couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face.

"Listen to me," she said forcefully. "You once told me you could never turn on Zedd, but you're doing it right now."

His jaw tightened when he had to concede her point was true.

"You also told me that the only thing you wanted to do was kill Jason, and now you're working with him to take Zedd down." She reached up and cupped his face. "You have more control over what's going on than you want to admit, Tommy. You can survive this if you want to."

The green ranger swallowed hard.

"WELCOME, ANDROS."

The red space ranger stopped upon seeing the two of them, an eyebrow raised.

"Everything okay here?" he asked.

Kimberly turned to him and smiled. "Yes, just saying our goodbyes."

She turned back to the green ranger, hand sliding down to squeeze his. "I'll go get your bag."

Tommy held onto her hand for as long as possible before releasing it so she could go into the house.

"You ready?" Andros asked quietly.

"Does it matter?" the green ranger asked, voice thick with emotion. He brushed his thumb against the back of Ryan's head, causing the quiet infant to shift in his carrier.

The two turned when Kim approached them from behind, Tommy's duffel bag in one hand and her camera in the other. She handed the device over to Andros.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all." He took it from her and grinned. "Earth technology… always so fascinating…"

Kim helped Tommy get out of the carrier and set it on the ground. The green ranger continued holding his son in his arms, a hand pressed against his back while the boy's bottom rest on Tommy's forearm. Kim moved in close to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"On three," Andros said as he lined up the picture. "One… two… three!"

He took multiple pictures, examining them as they dried. He handed one to Tommy and the rest to Kim.

Andros looked at the device on his wrist and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we must leave now."

Tommy passed Ryan to his mother before leaning down to grab his duffel bag. He slung it over his shoulder with a sad expression. He bent over and pressed a long kiss to his son's head, caressing his curls gently. The green ranger turned to Kim next.

"I love you," he said, voice hitching slightly.

An array of emotions crossed her face, and though she didn't say the words back, he felt it when she pulled him to her and kissed him.

The kiss broke after several seconds, and they pressed their foreheads together.

"Find a way," she whispered. "Then we can see what's in store for us."

He nodded before turning and walking towards Andros. "Let's go."

Ten minutes later, Tommy sat in the backseat of the hovercar beside Andros on the way back to the hospital. He stared at the Polaroid picture of their family in his hand.

' _You can survive this if you want to.'_

He shook his head at her audacity. Those damn power rangers always had a way of making the impossible seem like a walk in the fucking park. She knew what he was up against and still had the gall to put the burden of surviving all of this on him.

The nerve.

But even as those negative thoughts filled his head, Tommy also felt reinvigorated with a new goal in mind. It would be hard – probably damn near kill him in the process – but he _would_ find a way.

Come hell or high water, he was coming back to them.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:** And without further ado, here's chapter 5! Thanks again to my beta, Bellarose20, for the help._

 _As always, please read and review. Feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Serpentera**

 **Docking Bay**

 **Near Edenoi**

 **Local time, Unknown**

The green ranger gripped his duffel bag tightly once he stepped off of the small spaceship.

"Welcome back, Commander Oliver," Anebris said. The slave wore a fanged smile as the teen approached. "Anebris is happy to see you are okay."

"Anebris." Tommy handed him his bag. "Glad to be back."

The two headed out of the docking bay into the nearby hallway of the large zord.

"Master has requested to see Commander Oliver in his study. Anebris will take Commander Oliver's bag to his quarters."

The green ranger nodded. "Of course. I'll head there now."

They reached the entrance to the main hall on the port side of the zord. Anebris headed left for Tommy's room while the teen headed right for the front of the zord.

The green ranger tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans as he walked down the long hallway. It felt surreal to be back on Serpentera after just being with Kim and Ryan only a few hours ago.

It was never more apparent that he didn't belong here.

" **Can you stop it with that shit already?"** Tom snapped from behind. **"It's ridiculous how much that girl has fucked with your head."**

T wrapped an arm around Tommy's neck. **"Forget about him, dude. He's just being a sourpuss."**

When he reached the study, Zedd was standing over the table staring down at several papers, one of which resembled a large map.

"Knock, knock," he said, rapping his fingers against the doorframe.

The emperor looked up at him. "Thomas. Please, come in."

The green ranger slowly entered the room and approached the table.

"I see your time on KO-35 was good for you," Zedd said. "You seem refreshed."

T nudged the green ranger in his side. **"** _ **Hell**_ _ **yeah**_ **you're refreshed."**

Tommy chuckled lightly and scratched the back of his neck, ignoring the lewd gestures T made with his hips against the metal table.

"One would hope I was after how badly I was hurt." He paused. "Thank you for getting me to the hospital."

Zedd waved a hand dismissively. "You are one of my soldiers, Thomas. I always take care of my own."

The green ranger forced himself to ignore Tom's disapproving glare.

"Now, onto business. We've made new plans since you've been away."

Tommy moved to stand beside him. "What kind of plans?"

"We were able to secure another shipment from KAX."

The green ranger's eyes widened. "What? How?"

Tom rolled his eyes. **"You really thought he was just gonna stop after what you guys did? You know better than that."**

"In light of the last attack, the _Eknit_ was better able to understand the severity of what we're up against. They arranged for a shipment to be sent from one of their distant territories."

Tommy eyed the map as Zedd pointed out an unnamed cluster. "This is one of many backup locations where KAX stores their surplus in the event of an attack. We will be receiving our shipment from here as it is the closest location to the Milky Way."

The green ranger had never heard of these backup locations, though thinking on it more, it made complete sense. It would be incredibly foolish of the _Eknit_ not to decentralize their resources.

"I've never noticed this place before," Tommy said curiously. "Is this another galaxy?"

"Not one that I know of," Zedd admitted. "The region consists of a vast number of red giants but few inhabitable lands, so it has remained mostly unexplored. I assume that is why the leaders of KAX have chosen it is as one of their backup locations."

"I see." The green ranger placed his hands on his hips. "When do I head out for the shipment?"

"You don't," the emperor. "We're headed back to Earth."

Anger burned in the teen's chest. "Is this because of what happened with the last shipment?"

"This is not a punishment, Thomas. You were ambushed by those cowards – you had no control over that." Zedd rolled up the map. "Another team was sent to handle the shipment simply because I could not afford to wait until you had fully recovered to act."

The green ranger's ire tempered at that.

Zedd placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understand your desire to get back at them for what they did… but sometimes the best course of action is to stand down."

Tommy nodded.

"Your focus should be on the return to Earth," Zedd said as he collected the remaining papers in his arms. "We'll be at the Saturnian docking bay in a matter of days. Once we teleport back to the Lunar Palace, we'll discuss our next steps. Until then, get some rest."

Having been effectively dismissed, Tommy left the emperor's study and headed towards his quarters.

" **So… what's the plan?"** T asked.

"I have to let the others know about this as soon as possible."

" **You won't be able to reach them at this distance,"** Tom pointed out. **"Andros' coin has a limit in its range."**

"Then we wait until we're back on Earth. Should only be a few days travel from here."

" **Sounds good to me."** T rubbed his hands. **"Now, let's find something to eat. I'm starving."**

Tom shot him an annoyed look. **"How can you possibly be starving? We can't eat."**

" **Dude, let me have this."**

The green ranger ignored the two as they bickered. His mind was elsewhere, already formulating a plan of his next steps. He needed to get more information about the shipment before he shared any details with the others – what he had now wasn't enough to really work off of.

He felt someone staring at him and turned to meet Tom's intense glare.

"What?"

" **You're playing a dangerous game."** The older man shook his head. **"Don't say I didn't warn you."**

Tom walked off, leaving T and Tommy behind.

" **Ignore him – he's always in a bad mood."** T turned wide eyes towards him. **"Food?"**

The green ranger rolled his eyes and made a turn down the next corridor, heading for the mess hall. Without Tom around, the conversation became much more enjoyable, T's antics pulling a laugh from him every now and then.

Still, even with the pleasant company, he couldn't quite shake Tom's warning from his thoughts.

* * *

 **Morphing Grid**

 **Pocket Dimension 17**

 **Five Days Later, Tuesday, 2:01 AM**

"Fascinating." Andros peered at the map closely. "A red giant cluster."

"I thought the same thing," Tommy said from beside him.

Tommy, Andros, Jen, Zhane, and Jason surrounded the holographic map of the universe in the Operations Room of the Astro Megaship.

Jen crossed her arms over her chest. "Navigating a ship in that region is feasible but difficult. Get too close to any of the older giants that's expanding and run the risk of getting sucked into it completely. And attempting to battle there would be insane." She shook her head. "Our best bet is not to engage."

"And let Zedd get the upper hand?" the green ranger asked incredulously. "Not an option. He gets this shipment, we're back to square one."

"I understand that, Oliver," Jen said with forced patience. "But we did not sign up for an ill-planned suicide mission."

"Then what do you suggest?" Zhane asked. "Tommy's right. We can't just do nothing."

"We wait for the opportune moment," Jason spoke up from behind. He circled an area right outside of the cluster with his index finger.

"Once they exit this region, they're back in the Milky Way. That gives us plenty of time to intercept them on their course for Earth." He pointed at the space between Jupiter and Mars. "I say we take them out once they've reached the Asteroid belt. We stay on the Martian side – as soon as they pass through, we hit them hard."

Andros seemed to consider this. "A solid proposal. We would have the tactical advantage and the element of surprise on our side."

Jen turned to Tommy. "How big is the shipment?"

"I couldn't find that information in the database, but the inventory is enough for one large transport ship or three smaller ones."

"So we're going in blind. Dammit." Jen glanced at her watch. "I need to report to Captain Logan. In the meantime, you keep working out the details of the plan. I'll be back shortly."

The four boys nodded and watched as she teleported out of the pocket dimension.

"Three ships would help minimize their losses during an ambush by dividing up the goods, but the effort to navigate that many ships through that cluster…" Zhane shook his head. "I can't imagine them actually going for it."

Andros nodded. "Agreed, but in any case, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario. If they have three ships, we need five. We'll need Time Force's help with the additional vessels."

Jason turned to Tommy. "Do you know if they'll try a convoy again?"

"Probably not," the green ranger said. "Lost a lot of good soldiers the last time. If they try it again, it'll probably be fewer ships with more substantial firepower. They won't make the same mistake twice."

"All right." The red Earth ranger turned to Andros and Zhane. "We gotta think through how we're gonna do this.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"You need to go back to the moon base and get more intel."

" **Oh, so now** _ **he's**_ **calling the shots? Well that's just a recipe for success,"** Tom muttered sarcastically.

"Jason…"

The red Earth ranger held up a hand when Tommy made to protest. "The more information we have, the better our chances of a successful mission." Jason wore a grim expression. "It's the only way we can pull this off, so we're counting on you, Tommy."

The Earth ranger headed out of the Operations Room before Tommy could even think of something witty to say in response. Truth be told, he wasn't sure he could come up with anything – Jason's comment left him more than a little stumped. It was reminiscent of something he would've said back when they were friends, before everything went horribly wrong.

It surprised him to realize just how much he'd missed it.

Tom rolled his eyes. **"You and Jason are** _ **not**_ **friends. One offhand comment doesn't erase everything he's done to you,"** Tom hissed. **"Don't you** _ **ever**_ **forget that."**

Tommy pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. Jason's betrayal was at the heart of everything – the door to that friendship was sealed.

He had to remember that.

Andros turned to the green ranger. "You all right, Tommy?"

Tommy blinked and cleared his throat. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

The red space ranger shot him a curious look but mercifully made no comment at the hitch in his voice.

"Contact us when you have more information about the shipment. Until then, we'll act on what we have so far."

"Right." The green ranger watched Zhane and Andros leave the room, taking a seat in a nearby chair and resting his head in his hands once they were gone.

He pushed thoughts of Jason to the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time for distractions – he needed to focus on the mission.

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Finster's Workshop**

 **The Moon**

 **Two Weeks Later, Sunday, Local time, Unknown**

Tommy bit his lip as he studied the board. He reached for a stone piece but then retracted his hand, studying the board again. He went for another piece but then paused and sat back.

Finster watched the green ranger with amused eyes.

Tommy grabbed a different piece and moved it, capturing two of Finster's in the process. The Clayoidian gave a delighted laugh.

"Very good, Commander. You've managed to mount a strong defense to my attack." He reached across the board and grabbed a piece that hadn't moved the entire game. "But you must always remember – just because you haven't seen me use it doesn't mean the piece is not in play."

Tommy could only watch in awe as Finster dismantled his defense from the side, taking out four pieces at once.

"How did you come up with that?" he asked. "I swear I didn't even see that coming."

" **Because you're an idiot,"** Tom supplied sarcastically over his shoulder.

Finster nodded. "You weren't meant to, and truthfully, it developed as we played. You've become much better at this game, and as a result, my strategy against you has had to evolve. I have to find new ways to beat you, new weaknesses to exploit."

The game of Tai Shun Ki was a nice break from the last few days of political nonsense the green ranger had been forced to deal with. It had been days of back-to-back meetings with the Earth's leaders, listening to them complain about the state of their countries and what the Dark Empire needed to give them. It was the same for every one of them – the infrastructure had been destroyed in the invasion, valuable resources were lost, critical populations had been decimated. Everyone wanted Tommy to wave a magic fucking wand and fix all their problems.

It was exhausting.

Zedd was supposed to be handling this, but he was away on business in the Machine Empire, helping them rebuild what was lost in the attack by Time Force. Tommy was asked to deal with the human leaders of Earth in the Emperor's absence.

He could honestly say he'd rather take another knife to the gut than spend one more second with those people.

" **Keep doing what you're doing, and I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to get stabbed again."**

"I've learned a lot about you from how you play this game, Commander," Finster commented idly.

"Such as?" Tommy asked, genuinely curious.

"You'll take the direct approach to almost anything if it will help you achieve your goal, even if it's not the best move for you to make." He took another one of Tommy's pieces. "Your strategy has become more complex with experience, but you still lack the ability to fully examine the picture. That's why things fall apart when you least expect them."

The green ranger narrowed his eyes as he took in Finster's observation. He studied the board again and took another one of Finster's pieces. He gnawed on his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Finster… Have you ever played Tai Shun Ki against the Emperor?"

Tom raised an eyebrow at his question.

Finster paused as he moved his hand towards the board. "Once or twice. I am not as close to the Emperor as I was to Rita, so our interactions are… limited."

This didn't surprise the green ranger. Finster had been livid when Zedd ousted Rita from her throne but had served the Emperor nonetheless. It was only because of his pre-existing relationship with Scorpina that he and the warrior were able to move past the witch's untimely death.

"What have you learned about him?"

The Clayoidian remained quiet for some time, and Tommy wasn't sure if he would answer his question.

"Is there a reason you're asking?" Finster questioned softly.

Tommy felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck as Finster watched him. There was something about the way he was looking at him, almost as if…

The green ranger chuckled. "Forget it," he said jokingly. "Just me being curious is all. I've never come close to beating him… one day, I guess."

He took another one of Finster's pieces from the board. "Your move."

Finster picked up his piece, rolling it around in his hand as he studied the board. The Clayoidian was quiet for a long time, seemingly lost in thought.

"The Emperor thrives on complexity," he whispered. "The more layers to the game, the better he is at playing it. That's why he'll always be several steps ahead of you – you can't beat him at his own game."

Tommy narrowed his eyes as he got the strong sense they were no longer talking about Tai Shun Ki.

"Then how _do_ I beat him?"

He noticed that Tom pulled up a chair and sat down beside them, eyes fixed on Finster.

"By keeping things simple. I've managed to beat the Emperor not because I outsmarted him, but because I went back to the basics." Finster stared at Tommy over the rim of his glasses. "Beating him is not the challenge – it's realizing that in order to win, you need to play _the_ game, not _his_ game."

Finster placed his piece back on the board and slid it across, capturing Tommy's most valuable piece in the simplest move of Tai Shun Ki.

"Sometimes the best solution is the one you've known about from the start. Complexity clouds your judgment and makes it easy to forget that solution exists. That's his greatest strategy _and_ his greatest weakness – know that, and you can beat him."

Tom chuckled. **"Not such a dumb monster maker after all."**

The green ranger hissed when he felt a sudden searing pain against his thigh. It was the coin from Andros.

' _Dammit.'_

"Commander?"

"Uh… sorry, Finster. Rain check?" he asked, not bothering to wait for an answer.

He rushed out of the workshop into the hallway. Tommy grabbed the coin in his pocket.

" _You really need a better way of contacting me. One of these days you're gonna give me third-degree burn or – "_

" _Come to the pocket dimension. Now."_

Tommy raised an eyebrow at clipped tone. _"I was kind of in the middle of something…"_

Andros' irritation seeped into their link. _"Whatever it is can wait. We're back from our mission and need to talk to you now."_

" _Already?"_

Urgency now flooded their telepathic link. _"Tommy, come now. This is not a request."_

Their link broke, causing the green ranger to frown. Andros' fear was palpable through their connection, and that unnerved Tommy more than he wanted to admit.

The space ranger was usually quite controlled with his emotions.

' _Something must be wrong,'_ he thought worriedly.

The green ranger checked the halls for anyone nearby. Seeing that he was alone, he quickly teleported out of the Lunar Palace.

* * *

 **Morphing Grid**

 **Pocket Dimension 17**

 **11:23 AM**

Tommy materialized in the pocket dimension with a scowl, Tom at his side.

"Okay, what the hell is the emergen – " He froze at the sight before him.

Jason, Zhane, Andros, and Jen all stood silently before him in their power suits, helmets in hand as they wore grim expressions. Aside from a few scrapes on their suits, they appeared relatively unhurt. At their feet was a pile of what look like large, blue scrap metal.

A few yards behind them sat a large transport ship. It was dented on the sides and had several scorch marks on it but was still intact. The cargo door was open and a long ramp extended from the door to the ground. The cargo hold was empty save for a lone figure that was sitting down, watching them with beady, sunken-in red eyes.

"Well… look who we have here."

Tommy's blood ran cold at the sound of Rygog's voice.

Rygog stood up and approached them, stopped by the shackles around his ankles and wrists that kept him trapped in the cargo hold. His armor had been removed, which Tommy now realized was the scrap metal pile on the ground. Rygog had blood dribbling down his chin, and a huge bruise along the side of his face – none of which seemed to dampen his spirits.

The creature gave a nasty grin. " _Commander_ Oliver."

The green ranger clenched his fist tightly. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"I think the better question is what are _you_ doing here?" Rygog asked. He laughed and threw up his hands jubilantly. "It feels so _fucking_ good to be right! This is all the proof I need."

"What is he talking about?"

Andros picked up a box near his feet. "There was no shipment, Tommy."

Tom rubbed his forehead with a sigh. **"Here we go…"**

The green ranger shook his head, his chest growing tight. "No, no… there was a shipment headed for Earth that was – "

Jason growled and threw his helmet down on the ground in anger.

"It was a trap!" he yelled, hands running through his hair. "There were no supplies. There wasn't even a crew." He pointed at Rygog. "The only thing we found was this ship with this son of a bitch inside!"

Andros held out the box he was holding to the green ranger. "And this."

Tommy accepted the package with shaking hands, a lump forming in his throat as he slowly opened it.

Inside were four items he immediately recognized – Ryan's polka dot pacifier, Kim's broken communicator, Ryan's yellow and gray onesie, and the family photo they took outside of the house right before he left KO-35.

All smeared with blood.

The world around him became a blur of colors and sounds suddenly, an indescribable heat reaching every inch of his body. All Tommy knew was that he was suddenly in the cargo hold, tossing Rygog across it into the opposite wall hard enough to break his chains. He lifted the creature up again and slammed his knee into his chest, causing Rygog to gasp and fall to his knees.

"He's going to _kill_ him! Stop him now!"

Tommy had never felt such an intense surge of rage – not even when his parents had died. The sickening crunch of Rygog's bones beneath his feet provided little in the way of satisfaction, but it didn't stop him from delivering each brutal kick into the creature's crumpled form.

A side tackle brought Tommy down to the ground. He roared, kicking out at his attackers and throwing them off of him. He was rushed again and pinned down, one arm twisted painfully behind his back while his leg was held in an immobilizing joint lock. His eyes burned green with fury, wisps of energy dancing along his skin as he continued to struggle against Jason and Zhane.

"Tommy, you need to stand down!" Andros shouted over him. "You're no good to Kim and Ryan in this condition!"

The green ranger grit his teeth and tried to calm down, but each time he caught a glimpse of Rygog, a fresh wave of anger rolled over him.

The teen closed his eyes and took deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. His energy flickered in and out, finally disappearing completely once he was able to get his rage under control. He shrugged Jason and Zhane off of him, though the two boys remained close by.

Jen sat Rygog up against the wall, securing him again with new shackles. He looked at Tommy, one eye swollen shut.

"Where are they?" the green ranger hissed.

Rygog laughed, choking slightly on his own blood in the process. He spat some out on the floor.

"Poor little, Tommy… that's the second time now you've failed your family, isn't it?"

" _WHERE ARE THEY?_ " Tommy yelled, his energy spiking high enough to send Jason and Zhane flying back.

Rygog spat out more blood and chuckled. "Alive… for now."

The red space ranger held Tommy back when he tried to rush Rygog again.

"Zedd has them," he told the enraged green ranger. "You were the only person Zedd told about the shipment, Tommy. He set you up from the start."

Tommy blinked in surprise. "What?"

Andros shook his head. "I don't know how he figured it out, but he suspected you were behind everything. Rygog was there to confirm the hijacking happened and sent off an SOS when we arrived. We managed to grab him before he could make off in an escape pod."

The green ranger stared at Andros dumbly. "He knew…?"

" **Of** _ **course**_ **he knew,"** Tom growled. **"He's the fucking emperor!"**

"Listen to me!" Andros yelled, shaking him and grabbing his chin. "Zedd is expecting Rygog back at the base in a few hours. Their plan was to confront you when Rygog got back – show you that they have Ryan and Kim held hostage. If Rygog doesn't show up, Zedd will know something went wrong." He swallowed thickly. "They'll be killed immediately."

Tommy's stomach clenched violently, and he fought against the urge to vomit all over the floor.

" **I** _ **told**_ **you you'd regret this. I** _ **warned**_ **you."**

Hate-filled eyes turned towards Rygog.

"You're running out of time, boy…"

The striped-haired teen pulled Tommy to his feet and held on to his shoulders. "I don't like this anymore than you do, Tommy, but we don't have many options here. We have no idea where they're being kept to try and rescue them on our own. If this is the only chance we have at saving them, we _have_ to take it."

The green ranger blinked back the stinging tears. Rygog scoffed, climbing up to his feet. He rest heavily against the wall due to his injuries.

"I always knew you were weak," he snarled. "Look at you… crying like a child… did you really expect there to be no consequences for what you've done?"

Rygog glared at him, his smile sadistic. "You will _never_ be able to defeat Lord Zedd. The emperor knows all. The emperor sees all. He is more powerful than you could imagine, and you will _always_ be one step beh – "

Tommy powered up and slammed his fist into Rygog's stomach, sending blood and spit flying from his deformed mouth.

"When I kill you… I'm going to make sure it hurts," the teen whispered in Rygog's ear.

The general slumped against Tommy, no longer moving. The green ranger pushed him off and onto the floor, where he landed unceremoniously in a heap. Jen leaned down and checked his pulse.

"Don't worry, he's alive." The green ranger powered down. "I made sure of that."

"Barely," she murmured. "He's out cold."

Tom raised an eyebrow. **"What's your next move?"**

Tommy stared at Rygog curiously. An idea was taking form in his mind the longer he stared at the unconscious general. He reached down and lifted him up by his collar.

"What're you doing?" Jason asked.

"The piece of shit was right about one thing… we're always one step behind." Tommy eyes burned green. "I think it's time we changed that."

Tommy ignored the others' cries of confusion when he suddenly teleported out of the pocket dimension, Rygog in tow.

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Dark Dimension 91**

 **The Moon**

 **1.5 hours later, Local time, Unknown**

Tommy stared down at Rygog as he jolted awake, sputtering from the ice-cold water that was thrown on him. Rygog looked around in confusion before red eyes settled on the green ranger.

"Where are we?" he rasped.

Tommy took a seat in the chair opposite him, elbows resting on his thighs. "One of the dark dimensions."

Tom and T stood on either side of Rygog, their expressions unreadable.

The general tried to get up from his seat but found he couldn't. His arms and legs were tied to the chair he was sitting on.

The green ranger said nothing as he watched the man struggle against his bindings.

"How long have I been out?"

Tommy shrugged. "Hour or two, I'm guessing."

Rygog growled, baring his teeth. "You're wasting time with this – I won't break, boy. Take me back to Lord Zedd, and I'm sure he'll reward your expediency by sparing your brat and that wench."

The green ranger forced himself not to rise to the bait. "You're lying."

"Excuse me?"

"We both know even if I bring you back… Zedd's still gonna kill them." Tommy clasped his hands together. "It doesn't matter if I keep working with the rangers or promise to work for the empire again – what's done is done. All that changes is when and how they'll die."

Tommy could see the color leave the general's face.

He stood up, unsheathing his Falchion sword and resting the blade against Rygog's throat. "There's no reason for me not to just kill you now."

"The E-Emperor is merciful. I can convince him to spare your family." Rygog swallowed nervously. "But that can only happen if you spare my life."

Tommy stared Rygog down for several seconds before sheathing his sword and turning around, taking his seat once more.

"I'm not going to kill you, Rygog," he said after a long stretch of silence.

Rygog breathed a sigh of relief. "A wise choice."

Tommy cocked his head to the side and whistled. Shuffling could be heard in the darkness.

"He's going to do it for me."

Zyltran emerged from the shadows, teeth bared as he growled at Rygog. For the first time, Tommy saw true fear in Rygog's eyes.

" **Have you lost your fucking mind?!"** T yelled.

Tom grinned. **"Your motivation is problematic, but your methods? I like 'em."**

"It's been several hours since he's eaten." Tommy ran a hand along the gnarlyth's side. "He doesn't get to eat living things too often. This should be a real treat for him."

The general jerked when the gnarlyth approached him. "Oliver…"

"Tell me where they are, and I'll let you go. Don't… and you're gonna become well-acquainted with Z here."

ZYltran sniffed Rygog's legs, licking them and chewing at the fabric of his pants.

"Oliver! Oliver, listen!" Rygog twisted as best he could from Zyltran's mouth. "I can't tell you where they are, even if I wanted to. Lord Zedd took them and hid them somewhere without disclosing their location to me. I swear it."

The green ranger narrowed his eyes, watching the general's expression carefully.

"Zyltran… attack."

Rygog's scream echoed in the room as Zyltran bit into his leg, ripping the flesh from the bone with his powerful jaws. Zyltran's other heads were focused on Rygog's foot and lower thigh, gnawing on the torn limb with fervor.

T let out a horrified gasp and turned away while Tom watched on, his expression intense but pleased.

"Okay! Okay! Augh!" Rygog kicked at the beast with his free foot. "Call him off! _Please!_ "

Tommy whistled again. "Zyltran… come."

The gnarlyth reluctantly left his meal and clambered over to his owner, licking his chops. He stared hungrily at the disfigured general. Tommy reached down and pet his heads.

"Good boy, Z."

"You sick bastard," Rygog wheezed. He was bleeding profusely from what was left of his leg.

"Talk. _Now_."

Rygog glared at the green ranger. "I know where they are… but if I tell you, the Emperor will kill me."

"And if you don't tell me, Zyltran will kill you, and I can imagine there are only a few ways to die that are more painful than being eaten alive."

The general glanced at the gnarlyth and shuddered. "They're in the palace," he whispered.

"Where?"

"The high security prison cells at the base of the palace beneath the animal pens." He groaned in pain. "They're being guarded by Tengu warriors."

"Are they together?"

Rygog nodded. "Yes, last I knew they were. If they're not in the same cell, they're close to each other."

"Are they hurt?"

The general closed his eyes and looked away. "The baby was fine. The girl put up a fight…" He took a deep breath. "She's probably recovered by now."

The familiar heat of rage began to build in Tommy's stomach. "You hurt her?"

"I told my men to do what needed to be done to bring her and the baby here…" He flinched at the anger on the green ranger's face. "Like I said, she should be fine now."

Tommy stood up and paced the room as his anger threatened to consume him. No, now wasn't the time. He needed to get to Kim and Ryan.

He stopped pacing and turned to Rygog.

"Thank you," he said calmly. "For telling me where they are."

The general nodded. "I held up my end – now release me."

The green ranger walked over to him and placed a hand on his shredded thigh, squeezing hard so that the hideous general screamed in agony, tears streaming down his face.

"No," the teen whispered, squatting down so that they were eye-to-eye. "Look at you… crying like a child… did you really expect there to be no consequences for what you've done?"

Rygog jerked in anger when he recognized Tommy's words as his own. "Oliver…"

Tom grinned widely. **"Yes…"**

"You killed my parents. You kidnapped my son. You hurt _her_." His eyes burned bright green. "There's no way in hell I'd _ever_ let you get away with that."

Tommy stood up and turned to his pet. "Zyltran…"

The gnarlyth sat up, expression eager. Rygog shook his head fiercely.

"Oliver, I'm begging you… don't do this, _please_ …"

The teen stepped back from the pleading man. "Eat."

" **Oh god,"** T said weakly.

The green ranger wiped Rygog's blood off on his jeans, ignoring the general's anguished cries as Zyltran devoured him. Blood, fabric, and tissue littered the floor near Tommy's feet as the gnarlyth ripped Rygog to shreds. He kicked a stray piece of cartilage off of his shoe and wiped away the blood before it could stain.

Zyltran was always a messy eater.

The green ranger closed his eyes and teleported out of the room, his focus now on finding his family.

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Animal Pens**

 **The Moon**

 **Local time, Unknown**

Tommy teleported down into the deserted animal pens, startling some of the animals there. A few of them clearly remembered him and grew excited at his sudden appearance. They ran in his direction, barking and howling happily.

He held up a finger to his lips, a gesture most of them recognized immediately. They quieted but still reached for him, and he petted them through the bars of their cages.

"I gotta go guys," he whispered. Their expressions became sad when they saw he was leaving.

The green ranger made his way to the door and left the room. He headed down the main hall to the staircase, quickly making his way down to the lowest level where the prison cells were. He peeked around the corner and counted eighteen Tengu warriors guarding the area.

Tommy unsheathed both his Falchion sword and Dragon dagger. He counted to three before heading around the corner towards the cells.

The Tengu squawked in alarm at his sudden appearance and ran at him. Tommy cut them down one after the other, leaving a mass of dismembered bodies littering the ground. By the end of it, he was covered in blood and feathers stuck to him in awkward places. A few Tengu had managed to scratch and even peck at him, no doubt leaving scars once they healed.

"Kim?" he called out hoarsely.

There was movement behind one of the doors and then. "Tommy? Tommy, is that you?!"

"Kim!" He ran towards her voice, a hand pressed against the door. "Are you all right? Is Ryan with you?"

"Yes, yes, we're okay!" She sounded like she was in tears. "Tommy, get us out of here!"

"I will." He studied the door, frowning when he saw it needed a key to be unlocked. "Stand back."

He sent a bolt of energy at the lock, blowing a hole through the metal. The door opened immediately, and he shoved his way inside. A blur of white headed straight for him, and he scooped the pink ranger up into his arms.

Tommy let out a choked laugh, the panic he felt at her being gone now fading into a distant memory. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist and the other tangled in her hair as he held her tight against him.

"Kim," he breathed into her ear.

She pulled back and cupped his face, pulling him down into a hard kiss. He sighed into her mouth and returned her kiss, pulling her closer to him so that their bodies were flush against one another.

As tempting as it was to get caught up in the moment, Tommy knew they needed to get out of there now. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Ryan?" he rasped.

Kim pulled back and pointed to the small crib on the other side of the room. Ryan lay on his back, swaddled up in a blanket, unaware of anything going on around him. The green ranger breathed a sigh of relief and pressed a kiss to Kim's forehead.

"Rygog brought us your things… there was blood…" He brushed her hair out of her face. "He hurt you."

She bit her lip and lifted her shirt, revealing white bandages around her torso, along with a few bruises.

"His guys didn't like that I wouldn't go without a fight," she joked. His jaw clenched tight in anger, and she reached up and rubbed his jaw. "I'm okay."

He cupped her hand and leaned down to kiss her. "We have to get out of here."

Tommy walked over to the crib and picked up Ryan. The baby perked up immediately, still sucking on his pacifier when his father kissed the top of his head. Tommy grabbed Kim's hand and twined their fingers.

"What about the other prisoners?" she asked.

He frowned. "What?"

"The other prisoners Zedd keeps down here… Tommy, we can't just leave them."

"We can, and we will."

"Tommy!"

"I don't care about them, Kimberly!" he growled low in his throat. "My only priority is getting you and our son out of here."

The power rangers and their goddamn need to save everyone…

He could tell his answer wasn't what she wanted to hear, but he didn't care. Instead of continuing their argument, Tommy teleported them out of the prison cell back to the pocket dimension.

Upon materializing, the three were immediately surrounded by Andros, Jason, Zhane, and Jen. Tommy was grateful for the distraction from Kim's ire at leaving the other captives behind.

"What the hell did you do, Oliver?" Jen asked, taking in his bloodied appearance.

"What needed to be done," he said. He turned away when Jason pulled Kimberly into a tight hug, pushing down the burning sensation in the pit of his stomach.

He handed Ryan to Andros. "I don't know how long they were down there, but they should be checked out. I don't think Ryan's hurt, but Kim was definitely injured."

"What about you?"

"I need to go back to the palace."

Kim pulled away from Jason and glared at the green ranger. "Are you _crazy_?"

"There are some things I need to get before I leave. Personal things I won't leave behind and the last bit of intel on the Dark Empire."

"Tommy…"

He cupped her face in his hands. "I'll be fine. I still have about an hour before Rygog is supposed to land at the moon base. That gives me plenty of time to do what I need to do, all right?" He brushed his thumb across her lips. "I'll be back before you know it."

And he really would. Zedd already knew he was a traitor – Zordon and the power rangers were the only safe place for him to turn to now.

The green ranger kissed her softly, sucking her tongue into his mouth with a moan. In the back of his mind, he knew a simple kiss goodbye would suffice, but upon seeing the irritation and barely concealed jealousy on Jason's face when they broke apart, he knew it was totally worth it.

Tommy squeezed her hand and winked right before he teleported out of the pocket dimension.

* * *

 **Lunar Palace**

 **Commander Oliver's Quarters**

 **The Moon**

 **Twenty minutes later, Local time, Unknown**

" **In case I haven't said it already…this was a** _ **terrible**_ **idea."**

The green ranger shoved all of his things into his duffel bag, only leaving behind his Dark Empire uniforms. He didn't want anything he owned left behind in this godforsaken shithole.

He wiped down his Falchion sword and placed it in the bag, along with various other weapons he had collected during his time as Zedd's green ranger. His Dragon dagger remained tucked in the back of his pants.

The long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans he wore clung to him like a second skin due to the blood seeping into the fabric. He wanted to take a shower and get rid of the clothes, but that would require time he didn't have.

He'd just have to take care of it when he got back to Kim and the others.

A small smile graced his lips at the thought. His future was still uncertain – Zedd was still around and on the hunt for him, and most of the rangers didn't know of his involvement in taking down Zedd. He was still a wanted man on both sides with a bounty on his head.

But even knowing that, he could honestly say he hadn't felt happier than he did now at the prospect of being with his family again.

Tom scoffed. **"Don't make me gag, boy."**

Tommy zipped up his bag once he was sure everything was packed. The only thing left to do now was to retrieve Zyltran and get the hell out of here.

" **It's not smart to be here. Leave the beast."**

"No."

" **These emotional attachments you have are going to get you killed."**

The green ranger turned and snarled. "He's coming with me!"

" **Son of a…"**

Tommy teleported back the dark dimension where left Rygog and Zyltran. What remained of Rygog was still tied to the chair, his blood and guts spread across the floor. The green ranger carefully stepped over torn limbs and intestines and crouched down to look Rygog in his lifeless eyes.

"Who's weak now, bitch?"

Tommy stood up straight and let out a low whistle. "Zyltran! Come!"

He raised an eyebrow when he didn't hear anything. "Z? Where are you, boy?"

Tom narrowed his eyes, searching the darkness with a frown. **"Tommy…"**

The teen turned when he heard movement from his right side. Something large flew at him, landing at his feet.

It was Zyltran.

Two of the gnarlyth's heads were missing – sliced clean – and there was a gash from the base of his throat to end of his torso. The creature's fur was smoking and charred, and his intestines and blood spilled freely from the wound along his stomach.

" **God dammit…"**

The green ranger kneeled and reached for the dead animal with a shaky hand. "Z?"

A beam of red energy shot out from the dark and hit him directly on his hand, sending Tommy skidding across the floor. He grabbed his hand and groaned in pain, the skin bright red and aching.

His eyes widened when Zedd and Goldar stepped out of the shadows. Goldar tossed something at him, and he resisted the urge to puke when he saw it was Zyltran's severed heads.

Zedd stood over him, visor glowing an angry red.

"I told you from the beginning – your only options are to serve me or die... You chose wrong, Thomas."

Tom shook his head and sighed. **"Check-** _ **fucking**_ **-mate."**

* * *

 _Things are finally coming to a head! What will happen next? *rubs hands evilly*_

 _Let me know what you think!_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note:** And now, the penultimate chapter of Cost of Redemption. Thanks again to my beta, Bellarose20, for the help._

 _As always, please read and review. Feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lunar Palace**

 **Holding Cells**

 **The Moon**

 **One hour later, Local time, Unknown**

Tommy's eyes popped open when he felt something cold splash against his face. His vision was blurry as he looked around the room, and he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach when he was able to make out a gold figure standing a few feet away.

Goldar stood before him, fully dressed in his armor.

"Awake now, pup?" He wore a feral grin, malice in his eyes. "Do you know where you are?"

' _As if I could ever forget this place,'_ the teen thought bitterly.

It was the room he had been trapped in when Goldar first tortured him into becoming Rita's green ranger. He'd spent weeks locked away in the tiny cell – he'd recognize the place in his sleep.

Tommy tried to move his arms and legs, not entirely surprised to find them shackled to the walls. He was startled, however, to find that moving his limbs caused him a great deal of pain.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you," Goldar said. "These shackles have spikes along the inside…you can cause some real damage if you move too much."

The green ranger rotated his wrists slowly, and he could feel the teeth of the shackles scratching lightly against his skin.

"Clearly, you know what I've done… why am I still alive?" the green ranger asked, throat scratchy. God, he needed water.

The Tarmakian moved towards him. "Oh, don't worry… you won't be for much longer." He tightened his hand into a fist. "But we'll get to that a little later."

He grabbed one of the weapons off the wall – a large, studded club. Tommy eyed the metal weapon warily as Goldar twirled it in his hands with practiced ease. He clenched his fists and concentrated on his powers, frowning when he found he could barely feel them.

"Don't bother trying to free yourself – the spell we cast on you dampens your powers," Goldar said. "The only way for you to get out of here is with your power coin, which is over here… nice and safe and away from you."

Tommy eyed his duffel bag on the nearby table, his morpher tucked away inside. He needed his coin physically on his person to amplify his powers, otherwise teleportation wouldn't work. He could probably muster up enough energy to either knock Goldar out or free his limbs, but he wasn't confident he could pull off both. He weighed his options – knocking Goldar out still left him chained up, and freeing himself left him with too little energy to battle a pissed off, fully-powered Goldar.

God, he was so fucked.

"Why did you do it?"

The green ranger said nothing, jaw clenched tightly. He flinched when the club connected with his abdomen.

"I asked you a question, boy. Why did you betray the Emperor?"

The green ranger remained quiet, eyes closed as he braced himself for another blow. He gasped when he felt one of his ribs give way from the impact, eyes watering from the pain.

"Shouldn't be surprised," Goldar sneered. "I knew a weakling like you couldn't be trusted to wield these powers."

"Fuck you, monkey man," he hissed.

Goldar growled, swinging the club fiercely, and Tommy let out a pained groan from the strength of the blow. He looked up into the Tarmakian's face, breathing unevenly as he tried to ignore the pain.

"That all you got, Goldie?"

The green ranger clenched his fists as the club connected with his body again and again. It seemed as though Goldar was deliberately slamming the weapon into his legs, hitting them repeatedly until Tommy was sure his bones were shattered. He was in incredible pain, but he forced himself to keep from crying.

He would _never_ cry in front of Goldar again.

The gold-plated warrior dropped the club after hitting Tommy one last time in the side with it. He grabbed the green ranger by his hair and forced the teen's head up.

"Tell me… how deep does your betrayal go?" He pulled Tommy's hair hard when he gave no response. "Did you kill Scorpina?"

Tommy kept his gaze locked on the floor. "No."

Goldar grabbed his dagger from the sheath in his boot. He made quick slashes along Tommy's chest and stomach, and the green ranger twisted in pain, mind flashing back to the last time he was forced to endure this same torture.

"It's the truth," he ground out. "I told you – the black ranger killed her."

"Did you help him?!" Goldar yelled, eyes burning bright red as spittle flew from his mouth. "Was taking her down part of your plan, too?"

"No!" Tommy shouted before he let out an agonized scream as the Tarmakian ripped apart the flesh along his stomach.

He could feel the warm blood seeping from his wounds, and his wrists and ankles burned from the spikes tearing at his flesh from his writhing. Goldar grabbed him by his hair again and forced the teen to look at him.

The Tarmakian searched the green ranger's face for several seconds before letting out a deep growl and releasing his hold. Tommy couldn't tell if Goldar believed him or not, but he at least seemed to back down for the moment.

"Goldar…"

"You watched him tear her down on the battlefield and then chose to _work_ with them…" Goldar's voice was low and soft, radiating with hurt. "You must have _loved_ finally getting one over on me, knowing all along that you were working with the people who killed my wife."

" _Scorpina was my_ _friend_ ," Tommy whispered vehemently, sad brown eyes locked on Goldar's back. "I _never_ wanted her to die."

The tense moment was interrupted when door to the room opened suddenly. The green ranger could make out Zedd's tall form as he walked through the door.

"Thomas…you look _terrible_ ," he commented.

"Don't look too good yourself, boss," Tommy sneered.

His head flew sideways when Goldar's fist connected forcefully with his jaw.

"Disrespectful bastard," he heard the beast growl.

The teen shook his head slowly, vision fuzzy from the blow. Zedd grabbed him by his chin, tilting his head up so that their faces were only inches apart.

"It pains me to do this to you, green ranger… truly. You were one of my best commanders and a gifted protégé – and I had _hoped_ an Emperor in the making."

Tommy blinked in surprise, unsure if he heard correctly. "Emperor in the making?"

"It no longer matters." Zedd shook his head. "You've squandered any chance of that happening."

"Good, because I would _never_ want to be like you." The teen's nostrils flared, and he spit in Lord Zedd's face. "Now cut the speech and do whatever it is you're gonna do to me already."

The Emperor released him, slowly wiping away the spit from his visor. He held up a hand when Goldar moved towards the green ranger and instead quickly wrapped a strong hand around the teen's throat.

"So insolent…and so _very_ stupid," the Emperor snarled. "We would've never picked you to be the green ranger if we had known you were this undisciplined."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Tommy sneered. "Rita should have let me go when she had the chance."

"Let you go… you _still_ don't get it, do you?" Zedd laughed with a tone of surprise. "You were _always_ going to be the green ranger."

Tommy furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? If Jason had – "

The Emperor dismissed his train of thought with a wave of his hand. "Whether or not he actually made the trade was irrelevant – you were chosen _long_ before Rita took you. The red ranger only made it easier to get you on our side by giving you a reason to hate the rangers."

Disbelief coursed through Tommy at this revelation. "W-What?"

"There were many candidates to wield the green ranger powers, but we needed someone who wasn't strong enough to fight the power of the dark magic, someone willing to give into it… someone like _you_."

The green ranger shook his head. "Bullshit…" he said, voice cracking slightly.

"I can see how badly you want to believe that, Thomas, but it's not… and deep down, you _know_ it's the truth. You know the kind of person you _really_ are." The Emperor leaned in close. "We didn't have to create the darkness inside of you – all we did was give you powers."

Tommy grew silent at this, suddenly feeling very exposed.

"This… _nonsense_ with Zordon and his rangers… it was never going to work." Zedd tapped a finger against Tommy's heart. "You went against your nature – tried to be something you're not – and it made you sloppy. _That's_ why you got caught." He squeezed Tommy's throat hard, cutting off his oxygen supply. "And now I have to kill you."

A whirlwind of emotions built inside of the green ranger at Zedd's words, but he pushed them back to the far recesses of his mind. He couldn't focus on that right now.

"You know what? Fuck it. Torture me, kill me – I don't care. As long as Kim and Ryan are safe, you've lost, Zedd." Tommy swallowed hard. "Do your worst."

The Emperor tilted his head to the side. "I don't know when your concern for them became stronger than your fear of me, but that mistake has sealed their fate… I _will_ find your son, and the bitch that spawned him, and they will pay dearly for what you've done."

He leaned closer to the green ranger, voice dropping to a whisper as he crushed his windpipe. "I will bring them here and slit their throats in front of you, and you will be helpless as you watch them slowly bleed to death."

Tommy grew increasingly nauseous with each word that Zedd spoke.

"You care so much for them? The pain of knowing they died because of you will tear at your conscience until you are nothing but a _shell_. Only once you've _truly_ been broken will I kill you, burning you alive so slowly that your screams will echo in this palace forever."

"You don't…know…where… they are," Tommy gasped out, struggling not to black out.

"Don't I?"

Fear gripped the green ranger's heart at the Emperor's amused tone.

"You don't think I anticipated your little rescue attempt? I'll admit Rygog was an unfortunate casualty but well worth the loss in the end." He chuckled. "The tracking device I planted on your son will no doubt lead me straight to the rangers' new base of operations."

' _Tracking device?'_ His mind flashed back to the blanket Ryan had been wrapped in. _'Oh god…no…'_

He released Tommy, and the green ranger coughed violently. "Remember… you brought this on yourself."

Tommy began to panic as Zedd walked away. _'No…no…no…no please no….'_

"Zedd, get back here, you son of a bitch! Don't hurt them!" he shouted.

The door closed with a soft click.

"ZEDD!" the green ranger screamed, voice raw with fear.

Goldar cackled wildly. "The pup is _scared_ …you should be, boy…"

Tommy shook frantically in his bindings, ignoring the pain that shot through his limbs. "Let me go!"

Goldar snorted. "Sure, I'll get _right_ to it."

"Goldar, you bastard, let me go! Please!" he begged. "You know what it's like to lose the only family you have left. Losing Scorpina destroyed you… if he takes Kim and my son – "

The beast snarled, grabbing his dagger and shoving it hard into Tommy's stomach. The green ranger opened his mouth in a silent cry, staring down with teary eyes at the dagger buried to the hilt into his abdomen.

" _Don't speak her name_ ," Goldar snarled.

"Goldar…" Tommy shuddered, fatigued from the pain in his body. "P-Please…"

His head flew back from the uppercut Goldar delivered to his chin, a tooth flying out of his mouth and skidding across the floor. Goldar flexed his fingers and turned from the captive teen, heading out of the room. He paused in the doorway.

"Get some rest. You'll need to be wide awake when we bring them back… I want to make sure you enjoy the show."

The door slammed shut, and Tommy took a shuddering breath, tears falling from his eyes.

Kim and Ryan were going to die if he didn't do something fast.

The green ranger groaned as he tried to move his limbs, the pain from his stomach and legs shooting through his body.

If only he had enough power to heal himself…

" **Tommy, get up! Ryan and Kim need you!"** T urged.

"I can't..." he said tiredly. His head felt very heavy all of a sudden. "My hands…I can't get to my morpher…"

" **Yes, you can, Tommy. Think."**

The green ranger winced, lifting his head limply as he tried to survey the room. He could probably pop open the shackles around his wrists with a knife, but the closest weapon was the one in his stomach.

" **Use it, Tommy."**

"How?" he asked. "I can't get to it."

" **Yes, you can…think, boy."** This time it was Tom speaking to him.

He shook his head, warding off the wave of fatigue that hit him. He couldn't do anything with his hands locked like this.

Slowly, he rotated his left hand in its shackle, and he realized there was some room to move his wrist around.

But still not enough to get him anywhere.

"These goddamn spikes," he whispered in frustration. "I can't get out."

" **You** _ **can**_ **get out, Tommy. Think, dammit!"** Tom yelled sharply. **"Stop talking about what you can't do and just do what needs to be done. Get your hand out of there** _ **now**_ **."**

Tommy paused, realizing what Tom was implying. "No…no way…"

" **You have to,"** T whispered. **"For them."**

Tommy licked his lips before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Gritting his teeth, the green ranger tugged hard, pressing his fingers together as he pulled his hand through the shackle. The hand already hurt from when Zedd had zapped him back in the dark dimension, and now it felt as if it were on fire. He could feel the small spikes ripping the skin off as he wiggled his hand through the hole.

" **Keep going,"** T encouraged. **"You can do it."**

The green ranger choked back a wounded cry, and he could feel the blood running down his arm.

" **Almost there, Tommy. You got it."**

He let out a small sob when he felt his hand slip free, seeing only a bloodied mess when he looked down at it through his tears.

" **No time for that, Tommy. You need to move!"**

He breathed through the pain, grabbing the hilt of the dagger tightly before pulling it out. He groaned, desperately trying to muffle the sound to keep from alerting anyone nearby.

Shakily, he brought the tip of the dagger up to the shackle on his right hand. He blinked rapidly to fight off the urge to pass out, focusing his energy on breaking the shackle.

The latched creaked open and Tommy fell forward suddenly, slamming down hard on his knees. He shoved his face into the crook of his arm, muffling his screams. With trembling hands, he reached down, breaking open the shackles around his ankles.

He dropped the dagger, using his remaining strength to drag himself through the excruciating pain over to the table where his morpher was. He propped himself up against the wall, sweat on his forehead from the exertion.

" **Just reach up and grab it, Tommy."**

His hand rose shakily, and he flinched from the pain in his stomach. He pressed a hand against the open wound on his abdomen.

" **Dammit, boy! Stop playing around and grab it!"**

Taking a deep breath, trembling fingers wrapped around the strap of his duffel bag. He pulled the bag onto his lap and grabbed his morpher tightly, immediately feeling his power level increase from being reconnected with his coin. He closed his eyes and pushed through the pain, focusing instead on teleporting out of the Lunar Palace.

Tommy landed inside the demolished Command Center on his stomach, and he rolled over slowly to remove the pressure from his wound. He wasn't sure how to get to the Power Chamber from here, having only been teleported there as a passenger, but from how Andros spoke of it, he knew it had to be close by.

Or at least, he hoped it was.

"HELP!" he screamed loudly, his mangled hand clutching his wound. He shoved his morpher into his pocket. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

It felt like hours had passed as Tommy lay on the ground, and he'd nearly given up all hope of anyone finding him. Relief flooded his system when he finally heard incoming footsteps.

" _You_ ," an angry voice hissed.

Tommy had no time to respond before he felt several hands lifting his large frame up and carrying him into the surrounding darkness.

"We need to take him to Andros," he heard one of them say.

"Affirmative."

Billy.

"B-Billy… Kim…" Tommy groaned weakly. "Ryan…danger…"

He needed to find them. Time was running out.

Their words faded into the background as his thoughts began to drift – he was losing consciousness.

T shook him hard. **"Stay awake, Tommy! You aren't done!"**

"I'm trying," he mumbled.

"Who is he talking to?" someone asked from faraway.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Billy said.

A sudden shift of his body left Tommy staring at a bright white ceiling, Billy's face coming into view.

"What happened to you?"

Tommy grimaced and squinted. "Zedd happened…"

The blue Earth ranger nodded, eyes scanning his body quickly. "Your injuries are… quite extensive, Tommy. Especially this one on your stomach."

Hands moved gingerly up and down his legs. "His legs are completely broken, Billy."

Trini.

The green ranger shook his head. "I don't care about that. Give me something that can keep me awake."

Billy gave him a stern glare. "We have epinephrine available, but that won't help you with your legs. You lack mobility, Tommy. We have to fix this."

Tommy hissed when he felt a stinging sensation in his stomach, and he looked down to see Trini pressing a wet cloth to his wounds.

"Didn't we just see you a few hours ago? _What happened_?"

Andros.

Tommy looked up, cracking a small smile to mask the pain. "My luck ran out. Where's Kim?"

"Why is he asking about Kimberly?" he heard someone ask.

"What happens to her is none of your business, green ranger," another voice said.

"Everything about her is my business," Tommy hissed, eyes flashing green.

"Don't upset him," Billy scolded. "He needs help."

"You can't be serious…he's the enemy," a pink ranger said from a team he couldn't recognize.

"And as the enemy, he has to be taken as a prisoner, not left for dead. We are _not_ vigilantes," Trini reminded tightly. "We have laws we must abide by as rangers…now is not the time to forget that."

The other rangers quieted at her comment, though Tommy could tell from the tension in the room that several of them did now want to follow the rules as they applied to him.

"Where's Kim?" Tommy asked again as he tried to sit up, wincing from the pressure on his damaged hand. Trini pushed his shoulder so that he lay on his back again. She grabbed a pair of scissors and began cutting off what was left of his shirt.

"Corcus, come here," Billy ordered. The black Aquitian ranger came over to the table, and Tommy flinched slightly, unprepared for such an up-close view of the man's large head.

" _Jesus_ _fucking Christ_ ," he hissed, backing away slowly. It didn't look nearly as disturbing when he saw the Aquitian leaders at KAX.

"Corcus, if I can provide you with water, can you heal his legs?" Billy asked.

The black Aquitian ranger hesitated, looking at the red Aquitian ranger briefly before nodding. "Yes, I can."

"Excellent. Someone bring a large container of water. We need to heal the broken bones."

Seeing no one move, the blue Earth ranger got up on his own, rushing quickly to fill a basin with clean water.

"Where's Kimberly, dammit?" Tommy asked impatiently.

"She's on the Megaship with Ryan and Jason. Ryan's too small to teleport the distance to KO-35, so we have to take the ship. Jason's loading the last bit of their things before takeoff," the red Space ranger said. "We're leaving in a few hours."

"Andros – !" The KOan shook his head at the yellow ranger that yelled at him.

"Where – " Tommy hissed loudly, glaring down at Trini as she wiped at his chest wounds. "That hurt."

She said nothing, continuing with cleaning his wounds without looking at him, jaw shut tightly. Tommy had to admit he was surprised at how Billy and Trini were acting towards him. He thought with what happened with Zack they'd be the main ones leaving him stranded.

"Here you go, Corcus," Billy said as he brought over the water.

The Aquitian dipped his hands into the water, wrapping some of it around his hands before moving to Tommy's left leg. The green ranger could feel his shattered bones rearranging beneath his skin.

Tommy sighed in relief as he felt the pain in his leg slowly dissipate. "Where's the ship?"

He grunted when Trini finished securing the gauze pads over his torso and began wrapping him in bandages. Meanwhile, the blue ranger focused his attention on disinfecting Tommy's injured hand.

"Parked in the desert near the Command Center."

Tommy looked at him with frantic eyes. "Outside?"

Andros raised an eyebrow. "Well, yes, it can't fit in here… and we can't take off from the pocket dimension." He furrowed his brow. "Tommy, what's wrong?"

The green ranger pushed Trini and Billy away, swinging around so that he was in an upright position. The bin of water fell to the ground, quickly spreading across the floor.

"What are you doing?" Andros asked. "Corcus hasn't fully healed your other leg. You need to give him more time."

"I need to go," Tommy said in a rush. He grabbed a loose bandage and wrapped it around his injured hand. "Where's the epinephrine you mentioned earlier?"

Billy pointed across the room, and the green ranger hopped from the table, hobbling over to the counter. He rummaged through the cabinets, throwing items onto the ground until he found it. He grabbed a needle and syringe, filling the barrel with the clear liquid.

"Tommy… Tommy, what are you doing?" Billy asked in shock when the longhaired teen shoved the needle into his thigh.

Tommy shook slightly, body now alert as he looked around the room. "Zedd wants to kill Kim and Ryan."

"We already know that," a blue ranger he didn't know said irritably. "That's why we're trying to get them off the planet before he finds them."

Tommy threw the syringe down on the counter. "It's too late. He knows they're here."

"What? How?" Jen asked.

The green ranger swallowed thickly. "Zedd knew I would save them, so he planted a tracking device on Ryan – I'm guessing in his blanket." Tommy ran his good hand over his face. "Now he wants to kill me, but he wants to kill Kim and Ryan first and make me watch."

"Jesus…" Zhane whispered.

"Wait, wait. Stop." Corcus glared at the green ranger. "You never explained why you saved them in the first place. Why would you save Jason's son and the mother of his child? We all know you hate him."

"Because Ryan isn't Jason's son." Tommy closed his eyes. "He's mine."

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I'm sorry. He's… _yours_?" the red Aquitian ranger asked bewildered. "But when… _how_ – ?"

"The how should be obvious." Tommy held up a hand. "Look, it's a _long_ story that we don't have time for. The point is that Ryan is my son, and I need to get to him and Kim before Zedd does."

"How do we know you're even telling the truth?" came a new voice off to the side. The person wore a costume that looked like a mix between a man and a bug.

The green ranger pressed a hand to his forehead. "You people and these fucking costumes…" he muttered.

"He's telling the truth, Dex. Tommy is the father of Kim's baby," Trini confirmed gently. "Not Jason."

The rangers not belonging to the Earth, space, or Time Force teams looked at each other, disbelief on their faces.

"But…what about Jason? Wasn't he involved wi – "

Tommy growled. "We are _wasting_ time," he stressed. "We can get into the details of how Kim and I got together later. Right now, my son and his mother are in danger."

"No, they're not," the red Time Force ranger spoke up. "No one can enter the Power Chamber without a power coin. The only one Zedd had access to was yours, but you're here."

Tommy's eyes flashed green. "But Kim and Ryan aren't _in_ the Power Chamber, are they?"

Andros' eyes widened considerably. "We need to move. _Now_."

"Where's the ship?" Tommy asked. "Teleporting there will be much faster."

"Southeast side of the Command Center."

The green ranger nodded before teleporting out, landing several feet away from the Astro Megaship. He could hear fighting as he drew nearer, and his heart stopped when he heard Zedd cackle.

"You're only making this harder on yourself by fighting, ranger."

"Shut up, Zedd. They're not going anywhere with you!" Jason yelled.

Zedd laughed. "You fight so valiantly for a whore, Jason…still protecting your beloved pink ranger even after she gave birth to another man's child… your _enemy_. Admirable…or is foolish the word I'm looking for?"

"Zedd! You piece of shit!" Tommy roared as he rounded the corner limping. "You want me, I'm right here. Leave them out of this."

The Emperor turned to the green ranger. "Oh, Thomas… we both know I can't do that."

At the back of the ship, Tommy saw Andros and the other rangers crouched low.

Twenty power rangers, thirty Time Force officers, and an injured, weaponless green ranger versus Lord Zedd, Goldar, and several hundred heavily-armed Dark Empire soldiers.

The odds were _definitely_ not in their favor.

The Emperor's visor flashed as he looked at Tommy. "Slaughter them."

The rangers stormed from behind the ship, intercepting the soldiers as they charged forward. Tommy quickly limped behind them, only to fall when he felt a kick to his back. Rolling over, Tommy cried out when Goldar's foot pressed down on the gash across his torso.

"You should _really_ get that fixed," the beast snarled before laughing. He twisted his foot from side to side, causing the green ranger to twist in agony.

Tommy struggled beneath him, jerking wildly but unable to break free. He stilled when the tip of the warrior's blade pressed against his throat.

"Lord Zedd wants you alive to watch your family be killed…but I wonder if he'll make an exception in this case."

Tommy's eyes widened when the blade lifted off of him, and he prepared himself for the feeling of cool metal piercing his flesh.

He gasped when he saw three pink arrow tails sticking out from Goldar's stomach, followed by a fourth through his neck and a fifth that pierced his skull. The creature stumbled backwards off the green ranger, falling to his knees as his red eyes slowly dimmed to black. Tommy's chest heaved as he stared down at the now dead Goldar, and he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Kimberly.

She helped him to his feet, and he gathered the pink ranger to him with his good arm.

"You saved me," he said breathlessly.

"I wasn't about to let Goldar kill you, Tommy," she said softly.

Tommy grinned down at her before letting out a loud scream, body convulsing as a bolt of electricity ran through his body. He could faintly hear Kim screaming his name as he writhed on the ground.

He gasped when the surge ended, coughing violently into the hot sand. Kim was bent over him, her small hands pressed to his chest as she spoke, but he couldn't hear her. His eyes widened when he saw a hand reach for her from behind, but he couldn't find his voice to warn her in time. She thrashed as Zedd grabbed her by her hair, yanking her flailing body against his.

Tommy sucked in a much-needed breath of air, body radiating with pain as he saw Zedd drag Kimberly away.

' _No…Kim…'_

A red blur came at them from the side, and he blinked when he saw Jason on top of Zedd punching fiercely at the Emperor's visor. He could hear the scuffle faintly.

" **Tommy, get up,"** Tom said, standing over him.

The green ranger tried to move to no avail. "I can't…hurts…"

" **Get up, now. Don't say you can't…just do it."**

His body screamed in pain as he rolled over; every nerve in his body was on fire. Hands on his body made his muscles tense involuntarily.

It was Andros.

"Get them…" he gasped out to the space ranger. "Leave…now."

"Not without you. Come with us," the two-toned teen urged, though it sounded like a whisper to Tommy's ears.

"No…"

"Tommy, you'll die if you don't – "

The green ranger growled, shoving Andros away with his good hand. _"GO!"_

The space ranger stumbled back, expression hard as he turned from the green ranger. Tommy saw Andros scoop Kimberly up, and he could see the tears on her face as she was dragged back to the Megaship. He could tell she was screaming, but he couldn't hear a single word she said.

That was probably for the best. She had to be furious with him.

He could've gone with them…could've left for KO-35 or wherever and been free.

But what kind of life would that mean for him? For his family? Zedd would still be out there, and as long as that was true, they would never be safe.

His heart raced as he saw Zedd approach, a battered and unmoving Jason on the ground behind him. Ahead of the Emperor, nearly fifty soldiers approached the Astro Megaship, guns at the ready.

Time seemed to slow down as the green ranger took in the scene around him.

Time Force officers and rangers of various teams stood guard defending the ship, fighting valiantly to keep the enemy back. They were mowed down by the advancing soldiers, some of them dead immediately upon impact from the powerful weapons.

Flashes of light went off in the ship, and his heart dropped when he saw Andros get thrown out onto the ground. His face was bruised badly, and he clutched his side, fingers tinged red with his blood. Zhane joined him shortly after, the blond's arm twisted at an angle that clearly indicated it was broken.

Tears stung the green ranger's eyes as it hit him all at once.

They weren't going to make it.

His hearing came back just as Zedd reached him, allowing him to clearly hear all of the death and chaos happening around him. The Emperor stood next to the fallen green ranger and looked around.

"All that effort… all that planning… just to see it all crumble before your very eyes." He looked down at Tommy, visor flashing. "I can't _imagine_ how that must feel."

The green ranger's lower lip trembled when he saw Kimberly and a crying Ryan being guided off of the ship.

The rangers that were still alive tried to get to them, but their paths were blocked by Zedd's soldiers. No matter what they tried to do, they couldn't break through.

They'd lost.

Zedd reached down, grabbing Tommy by his throat and lifting him in the air.

"Don't lose heart, green ranger. You played the game as best you could… but I'm one opponent you'll never be able to beat." He squeezed the teen's throat. "You were _never_ in my league."

Tommy froze at his words, a memory coming to him suddenly.

' _Beating him is not the challenge – it's realizing that in order to win, you need to play_ the _game, not_ his _game.'_

Finster.

Why the hell was he thinking of this _now_ of all times?

' _Sometimes the best solution is the one you've known about from the start.'_

Tears ran down his face from frustration. Finster was a fucking fool. There was no way Tommy could ever beat Zedd. He was too powerful for a mere mortal to take down. Hell, the only person who could even begin to be a threat was –

Tommy's eyes widened. _'Holy shit.'_

And just like that, everything suddenly clicked into place.

 _Zordon._

The teen nearly broke down into hysterics as hope swelled in his chest. God, Finster _was_ right – the answer was there the whole _fucking_ time.

He'd been going about this all wrong.

He knew how to beat Zedd. He'd _always_ known how to beat him.

There was a chance to end this once and for all.

He just needed to break free.

The green ranger struggled in Zedd's hold, making the Emperor laugh. "Your fight hasn't completely left you… how annoying." He waved over the soldiers who held Kim and Ryan captive. "I'll take care of that."

The green ranger yelped when he suddenly dropped to the ground hard, landing painfully on his back with a groan. He looked up to see a sword sticking through Zedd's stomach. The Emperor stumbled backwards, and Tommy's brown eyes widened when he saw Jason standing there.

"Run!" the red ranger bellowed before Zedd whirled on him, sending his body flying across the desert.

The red ranger's efforts seemed to spark new life in his teammates, and they roared, surging forward with renewed vigor. They successfully broke through the soldiers' defensive line and headed straight for the Emperor.

"Stop them!" Zedd shouted. The wound in his stomach was already healing, and his staff cackled with white energy. "Kill them all!"

Seizing the opportunity presented by the chaos, Tommy closed his eyes, teleporting away from the fight back to the Power Chamber. Gritting his teeth, he limped inside, ignoring the urge to sleep and rushing as fast as he could down the main hall. He had no idea where the control room was, but if he was a betting man, it had to be at the center of the Power Chamber.

He just hoped he didn't pass out before he got there.

The green ranger headed in that direction, crying in relief when he heard Alpha 5's aimless chatter. He entered the large room, greeted by the sight of Zordon in his energy tube and Alpha 5 by the console.

"GREEN RANGER."

"Ay yi yi, hello, Tommy."

Tommy lifted his right hand with the palm facing outward, while his left remained wrapped around his torso.

"TOMMY… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Oh no, he's gone evil again!" Alpha 5 cried in alarm.

"It's the only way," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "It's the only way I-I can stop him."

The green ranger swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he remembered what Zedd told him long ago.

'… _destroying his tube would have irrevocable consequences. Zordon is a source of pure Good, and the energy he wields is consequently of the same nature and very old, making it incredibly powerful. If you were to break his tube, it would send out a wave so powerful, it could wipe out the entire Dark Empire.'_

"ALPHA, STAND DOWN." Recognition crept into Zordon's face. "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?"

" **Yes, Tommy, are you sure?"** Tom and T asked in unison. They stood in front of Zordon's tube with solemn expressions.

The teen's face scrunched up in anger. " _Shut up!_ You're trying to confuse me!"

Zordon shook his head. "I AM NOT. I AM SIMPLY ASKING IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE REPERCUSSIONS OF YOUR ACTIONS IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THEM. KILLING ME WILL MAKE YOU AN ENEMY OF THE ELTARIAN EMPIRE."

"I'm already an enemy," the teen pointed out. He blinked rapidly as he felt consciousness leaving him.

"THE PENALTY FOR MURDERING A MEMBER OF THE ELTARIAN COUNCIL IS DEATH… IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?"

The teen hesitated, hand shaking slightly. "No… but I don't have a choice."

"YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE, GREEN RANGER. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO LET ME LIVE AND SAVE YOURSELF FROM CERTAIN DEATH."

"But if I let you live, my son…" His voice hitched. "…Kimberly… they'll die…"

The thought of his family strengthened his resolve, and his eyes flashed green with defiance.

"I can save my family and accomplish what your people want most by killing you – the end of Zedd and the Dark Empire," he argued. "So, I think it's a risk I'm willing to take."

Zordon nodded. "I UNDERSTAND. MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU, TOMMY OLIVER."

Tommy's hand trembled, green energy cackling at his fingertips. If he did this – there was no way in hell he could come back from it… but really, what choice did he have?

"I'm sorry," he whispered, biting back the sobs that threatened to escape.

A green bolt shot from his palm, shattering the Eltarian's energy tube. Tommy dropped to his knees, his stamina now depleted. A bright orange light shot out in all directions, and the blast sent the green ranger flying backwards, head slamming into one of the pillars with a loud crack.

And then his world went black.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:** And now, here is chapter 7 - the last chapter! Thank you to my beta, Bellarose20, for the help on this beast of a chapter._

 _Fair warning, this chapter is very long and has a few callbacks to_ Control, Lost, Moments in Between _, and earlier chapters of_ Redemption _. You might want to read through everything again if details are a little hazy. And don't worry, even though this is the last chapter.. there will be an epilogue (so please no angry PMs or reviews)._

 _As always, reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Tommy Oliver's Mind**

 **Astro Megaship**

 **Local time, Unknown**

 _Pain._

 _That was the first thing the green ranger registered upon gaining consciousness. Throbbing, endless pain that permeated his entire body. It hurt to move – hell, breathing was difficult._

'Fuck… what happened?' _he thought tiredly._ 'Where am I?'

"… _alive, but barely… what are we going to do with him?"_

" _What do you mean what are we going to do? The answer is clear."_

 _The voices sounded far away and distorted, like they were underwater._

" _It's not that simple."_

 _Andros._

 _His voice sounded strange, but Tommy was sure it was the space ranger speaking._

"… _you expect us to do then? Hide him? Word will reach the Eltarians soon enough – they'll want answers…and him. We can't just…"_

'Eltarians…'

 _Memories of what happened hit him in rapid succession._

 _Rygog revealing that Zedd knew what he'd been up to all along. Being held captive in the Lunar Palace. The fight outside of the Power Chamber. Killing Zordon to destroy Zedd and save his family._

 _His heart lurched into his throat._

 _Kim and Ryan._

 _Shit._

 _Where were they?_

 _What happened to them?_

 _Tommy fought against the pain and forced his eyes open, taking in his surroundings._

 _Everything was hazy and tinted blue, and his movements felt sluggish. He looked down at his body and realized that_ he _was the one underwater._

"… _handle this before we make it to Eltar. We can't go in unprepared."_

 _The green ranger squinted in order to make his vision sharper. From what he could tell, he was in some type of chamber and… naked? Outside of the tank stood a group of people. Their faces were blurred, but he could tell they were rangers from their outfits._

 _Tommy reached for the oxygen mask on his face, only to realize that his movement was restricted due to the dozens of wires and large tubes connected to his body._

'I have to get out of here.'

 _Faint alarms went off when he removed the sensors from his chest, sending everyone surrounding his tank into motion._

" _What the hell – he's waking up?! I thought you gave him enough to sleep the whole trip!"_

" _It should have been. It must be his powers."_

 _By now, the green ranger had cleared his torso of all sensors and was screaming obscenities into his oxygen mask. He leaned forward so that he was resting against the tank and slammed his fists against the glass again and again. Green energy surrounded his fists, boosting his strength so much so that cracks began to form in the glass._

" _Shit, he's gonna break it! Give him another dose!"_

 _Tommy continued hitting the glass, his movement steadily growing lethargic as the sedative they injected him with started to take effect._

"… _do to him when we arrive…"_

 _The green ranger groaned as consciousness slowly left him. The last thing he saw before everything went black was Andros' remorseful face._

 _The next time he woke up, he was on the floor of a prison cell – alone and barefoot. His hair was shaved low in a buzz cut, and his face was devoid of any facial hair. He didn't have on any clothes save for a pair of dark gray underwear._

 _He blinked against the bright lights shining down on him._

" _God, my head…" He massaged his temples. "Where's…shit. The hell am I?"_

" _Where you belong."_

 _The hairs on the back of Tommy's neck stood up when he recognized the voice. He turned slowly to meet the older man's gaze._

" _Elder Gali."_

 _The Eltarian stood outside his cell, eyes burning bright with anger and barely restrained power._

" _Carlos… or would you prefer to be called by your actual name?" he hissed. "Tommy Oliver."_

 _Tommy licked his lips nervously. "I know I lied, and I know this looks bad, but if you would just let me explain – "_

" _SILENCE!"_

 _The green ranger swallowed thickly. Gali's anger was palpable, creating an intense pressure inside the room._

" _I knew the moment I saw you that there was more to you." He clenched his fists. "I should have trusted my instincts and had you dealt with then like the trash you are."_

 _Tommy stretched his arms out cautiously. "Elder Gali… I didn't want… Zordon was – "_

 _Gali sent out a burst of energy that sent Tommy flying across his cell._

" _Don't you dare speak his name!" the Eltarian shouted, now visibly shaking._

 _The green ranger groaned in pain. Gali's energy kept him pinned to the wall, and the pressure on his chest was suffocating. The Eltarian held him there for several seconds before finally releasing him, causing him to drop in a heap on the floor._

" _I won't dishonor my son by killing you here," Gali growled. "He would want you to be tried in court, and that is exactly what will happen."_

 _Tommy wrapped an arm around his abdomen and winced. He looked down and saw that his torso was marred with scars and bruises, most of which hadn't fully healed yet. He closed his eyes and focused on using his powers to heal his wounds._

 _And found that he couldn't._

" _Careful, boy, you don't want to make things worse."_

 _Tommy narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to me?"_

" _You didn't really think we would keep you here with access to your powers, did you?" he asked incredulously. "We had to take certain precautions to ensure your… cooperation."_

 _The green ranger looked around, finally noticing the cylindrical metal objects around the room. They emitted a bright blue light that pulsed intermittently._

" _Your weapons, morpher, and power coin were all seized when you arrived on Eltar, and any connection you have to the morphing grid is blocked by these disruptors. You have no way of escaping."_

 _Tommy grit his teeth. '_ That takes teleporting off the table. Dammit.'

" _You should also know that your days as the green ranger will soon be over." Gali moved closer to his cell. "I'm not sure how Rita did it, but it seems taking your coin isn't enough to sever your link to the morphing grid. Killing you runs the risk of losing the power altogether, so other methods had to be considered." He glanced to his left. "It's a little primitive for my taste, but it gets the job done."_

 _The green ranger looked over and saw a glowing green candle in a gold stand floating in midair._

" _What's that supposed to be?"_

" _A Powerdraining Candle," Gali answered. "I'm sure I don't have to explain to you what will happen when it burns out." He smiled darkly. "You're a smart boy."_

 _Tommy eyed the object dubiously, his stomach twisting uncomfortably as it burned. It shouldn't have come as a surprise – it was only logical to strip him of his powers so that they could return it to the forces of Good._

 _But even knowing that, he still hadn't really prepared himself for the possibility of losing them._

 _At that moment, the metal door behind Gali opened and a man entered carrying a large staff and a chair. He looked Eltarian, though he was much bigger than any Eltarian Tommy had ever seen. He was over seven feet tall and incredibly muscular. He wore a dark red uniform that was similar in style to a toga._

 _Gali headed out of the room but not before pausing in the doorway to give one last parting shot._

" _Make sure he stays alive, Klonis. I want to be certain he makes it to trial so he can pay for his crimes."_

 _The guard nodded and bowed as Gali left the room. He then turned his gaze towards Tommy and walked over so that he was standing only inches from the cell door. He took a seat in a nearby chair._

" _Where are the power rangers?" Tommy asked._

 _Klonis continued to stare at him, not offering any answers._

" _Where's Andros?" he tried again to no avail. "Zhane? Kimberly? Jason? Jen?" The green ranger grew frustrated and scrambled over to the bars. "ANSWER ME!"_

 _Klonis gave an unimpressed look before turning his attention to his staff. "My job is to watch over you, not answer your questions."_

" _You can't just lock me up like this! Don't I have the right to speak to someone or something?"_

 _The guard laughed. "I don't know how things work on Earth, but this is Eltar, boy." He flexed his fingers. "The only right you have is to shut up and sit down in your cell until your trial starts." He glared at the green ranger. "I suggest you exercise that right immediately."_

 _Tommy opened his mouth to retort but stopped when his hands suddenly started growing green. He winced when a sharp pain shot through his body – an ache that steadily grew more intense by the second. It was as if his body was slowly being ripped in half from the inside. Tommy fell to his knees and cried out, hands gripping the bars tightly to anchor himself._

 _It felt like hours before the pain finally subsided, and he rest his forehead against the cool metal bars to catch his breath._

" _What the hell was that?" he gasped._

 _Klonis pointed to the nearby candle. "Nasty things those Powerdraining Candles. It takes quite a bit of time before the process is complete, and yours only just started burning." He grinned. "I hope you have a high tolerance for pain."_

A nearby slam pulled Tommy from his thoughts, and he glanced towards his cell door. He could hear murmuring outside, along with the creak of doors opening and closing. The sound died down after a while, and he returned his attention to the burning candle across the room, now about half of its initial height.

It wouldn't be long before his powers were completely gone.

Tommy scratched at the hair on his face, now a full-on beard. He hadn't quite figured out how quickly time passed on Eltar yet, but based on his facial hair, he figured it had to be several weeks by now, maybe even months. Given his current situation, it was the only way he could estimate just how much time had passed since his arrival.

Ever since waking up in his cell, the only place Tommy had been allowed to see was the prison he was held captive in. He learned from his guard that he was in Eltar's version of solitary confinement, a precaution put in place as it was still unclear how much of a threat he was to others. As a result, he wasn't allowed to leave his cell except to use the bathroom and shower, and even then, he was always under a watchful eye.

The only person he had regular contact with throughout his time in prison was his guard, Klonis, who he learned was an elite soldier in the Eltarian army and was handpicked to watch over the green ranger during his incarceration. Besides Klonis, visitors were rare. The occasional Eltarian stopped by, including Zordon's sister, Nira, whose power had surged so violently while screaming at the green ranger that she'd nearly strangled him to death. Klonis had to step in and get her to stop out of fear she'd kill the teen before he could be brought to trial.

Needless to say, she hadn't been back since.

Andros had stopped by a handful of times, but Tommy outright refused to speak to him. He was pissed that the rangers had handed him over to the Eltarians after all he'd done for them, and he was especially hurt to learn that Andros had played a major part in that decision. Each time the space ranger came to visit, Tommy would turn his back to him, not bothering to show enough respect to even acknowledge his presence.

Unfortunately for him, his need to be petulant meant that most of his days were spent in painful solitude. Tom and T hadn't made an appearance since the day he killed Zordon, and Tommy wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

On the one hand, the bickering and running commentary on his life had ceased, and he knew if they were around now, being trapped in a room with them would be torture.

On the other hand, it would be a welcome change from the hell he was currently trapped in.

Ultimately, he'd been successful in getting the revenge he wanted, but in the process of defeating Zedd, Tommy had also put an end to the spell that kept him from feeling guilt.

He knew it would happen – Andros told him as much months ago back on KO-35 – but knowing hadn't prepared him for this. He had expected it to come all at once, like a dam that finally broke from the pressure building behind it. Instead, it manifested in waves – powerful, debilitating waves that came without warning.

Sometimes, it wasn't so bad. He didn't feel remorse for _everything_ he did, and the feeling left almost as quickly as it came in those instances. Whenever this happened, Tommy pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind – he didn't want to think of what it said about him that he didn't feel as bad as he knew he should.

Other times, though, it seemed as if the very act of living was difficult. He was finally able to feel the weight of his actions, and it was more crushing than he could have ever imagined.

That, he learned, was the _real_ danger of solitude. With nothing else to distract him, it was easy to drown in the memories of everything that had transpired. All it took was a stray thought to cross his mind, and the guilt would come like clockwork.

His first few days were spent with Ryan and Kim on his mind. The green ranger had never felt lower than when he thought of the pain he brought into their lives. It made him sick to his stomach to remember the danger he put his son in – everything from dropping Kimberly from the megazord while pregnant to leading Rygog straight to their location on KO-35 to be kidnapped. Hell, he'd been so consumed with being the green ranger instead of a father, he made the Earth too dangerous for his son to be raised there.

And Kimberly… God, he didn't know how he could even face her after everything he put her through.

He'd been cruel, inconsiderate, and an all-around piece of shit to her both before and during her pregnancy. He treated her like she was his possession instead of someone he respected and loved, constantly disregarding her thoughts and feelings in favor of his own. His actions pushed her to the point where abandoning her friends and family for a foreign planet in the middle of a war was favorable to dealing with him, and he couldn't say he blamed her one bit.

The time alone allowed him to recall every moment of their relationship in vivid detail, including the moment between them in the Youth Center that sent them down this path together. Now that he had a clear head, the green ranger wasn't sure if that moment between them was consensual or not, and the very idea that he could have done _that_ to Kimberly had him violently emptying the contents of his stomach on his cell floor.

He hadn't been able to eat for days afterwards.

His distress brought about an intense urge to talk to his parents, something he would normally do whenever he was upset or needed guidance. But unlike before where he felt uncontrollable rage or intense discomfort at the memory of his parents, it now left a hollow feeling inside of his chest. He couldn't stop the tears that fell or suppress the choked sobs when it truly hit him that they were never coming back.

All he could do was feel the pain and accept the role he played in their deaths.

Scraping along the floor pulled Tommy from his morose thoughts, and he turned his gaze towards an approaching figure. He squinted in an attempt to make out the person's face, eyes widening in surprise when he realized who it was.

"Why are _you_ here?" he croaked.

Jason stepped out of the shadows, eyebrow raised. To Tommy's surprise, the red ranger wasn't wearing his color for once. Instead, he was dressed in a tight, short-sleeved black shirt and dark, baggy jeans.

"You're talking," the red ranger said slowly.

"And you're observant." Tommy cleared his throat. "Answer my question."

The red ranger looked around the cell curiously before settling his gaze on the green ranger. "A lot of people out there wanna see you rot after everything you've done."

"Kinda figured that out when they locked me up in this shithole." Tommy narrowed his eyes. "Did you seriously come here to tell me _that_?"

"No." Jason grabbed the nearby chair and turned it around, sitting so that his arms rest along its top rail. "I came here for your help."

The green ranger raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly sure why you think I'm in any position to help you. In case you haven't noticed…" He lifted his shackled hands, wrists nearly rubbed raw from his attempts to free himself. "…I have my own problems to deal with at the moment."

"I've been asked to testify in your trial," Jason continued while scratching the back of his neck.

The green ranger studied him silently. "For or against me?"

"Haven't decided." Jason furrowed his brow. "I came here hoping… I don't know… I thought seeing you might help me figure out what I should do."

"Help you figure out what you should do…" Tommy repeated slowly, a mix of emotions rolling over him.

Jason looked away. "Now that Zedd's really gone, I've had time to think – to _really_ think – about everything you've done."

The green ranger sighed loudly, fingers pressed against his temples. A toxic mix of rage, hurt, and bitterness built up in his chest.

This felt familiar.

He shouldn't have been surprised. He should have expected this. They weren't friends – they could barely tolerate each other when they'd been working together.

So why did it still hurt?

"Leave," he said tiredly.

"Excuse me?"

Tommy stood and turned his back towards the red ranger. "I said leave. Now... because it doesn't sound like you need any help – in fact, you sound _pretty_ damn clear about where you stand," he hissed, voice tinged with hurt and anger.

The red ranger stared at him for a long time. "You son of a _bitch_."

Tommy frowned, not expecting that response. "What?"

"You have the nerve to sit there and try to make me feel bad about this? Are you _kidding_ me? Don't sit there and act like you're the victim in this!"

The green ranger read the hurt on his former friend's face and sucked his teeth, He rose to his feet. "So we're doing this again, huh? Punishing me because you think I took something from you." He shook his head. "What is it this time? Ryan? Kim again? Zordon?"

He saw the tick in the red ranger's jaw at the mention of his deceased mentor. "He had to die, Jason."

"I know that," the red ranger whispered fiercely, eyes closed. "I don't blame you for…" He licked his lips. "It's not that."

"Then _what?_ "

"What do you mean 'then what'? Tommy, you're an intergalactic war criminal!"

The older teen bristled. "If it wasn't for me, the Dark Empire would still be a threat! The Earth would still be under Zedd's control!"

"And if it weren't for you, _none of this would have happened in the first place_!" Jason snapped, rising to his feet. "Do you even _understand_ how much damage you've caused?" He held up a hand when Tommy made to retort. "Yes, I know, I put you in the position to become the green ranger – but we both know I broke Rita's spell, all right? You chose to stay, and that's _not_ on me."

Tommy turned away from him with a scowl but said nothing.

The red ranger rubbed his face tiredly. "I'm not blaming you for letting that drive your decisions – I'd be a hypocrite if I did – but no one gives a shit _why_ you chose to do the things you did."

"Fuck you!" Tommy yelled, whipping around to face the younger man. "You really think locking me up is going to help you get Kim back?" Jason's bristling reaction was like a salve to his anger, and he latched onto it fiercely. "Did you forget what happened the last time?"

The red ranger's nostrils flared. "For fuck's sake, this _isn't_ about Kimberly!"

"No? Then what is it about?"

"It's about the fact that ninety million people – ninety million _civilians_ – are _dead_ because of _you!_ "

The green ranger's anger faded at this. "W-What?"

"Yeah." Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. "Another two hundred million are missing and countless others have lost more than anyone should have to." He placed his hands on his hips. "They're still trying to tally up the number of soldiers that were lost, but it's been hard trying to identify their bodies from what's left of them."

Tommy leaned back into the wall, sagging against it as his strength suddenly left him. He knew there'd been some damage from the invasion, but he hadn't expected the numbers to be so high.

Was he really responsible for so much?

Jason slowly approached the green ranger's cell. "These last few months, you've done good work – no one will deny that… but your crimes…" He shook his head and gripped the bars. "Tommy, you can't just walk away from this."

By now, the green ranger was sitting on the ground with his back against the wall. "You think I deserve what's coming to me," he said softly, eyes fixed on the dirty floor of his cell. He blinked against the sting of tears.

"What I think is that despite everything that's happened… I don't want you to die…but if that's the punishment for your crimes, I-I don't know if I should stop it." Jason gripped the bars hard. "I'm sorry."

Tommy clenched his jaw tightly, bitterness festering in his heart. "I'm sure you are."

It wasn't fair. He wasn't the only one to blame for what happened – Jason being a shit leader was at the heart of all of this. Why was he the only one being punished?

"I'm just trying to do the right thing," the red ranger argued. He frowned when the green ranger chuckled. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's just funny that _now_ you're all concerned about doing the right thing…" Tommy hissed. "It's an easy position to take when you're on the other side of the jail cell instead of in one beside me like you belong." His nostrils flared. "Tell me, where was _this_ Jason when I needed him, huh?"

"He didn't exist," the red ranger admitted softly. "That Jason didn't know what it meant to lead – not really." He looked down and sighed. "It took a lot of mistakes and hard lessons for me to learn how to be the red ranger that Zordon trusted me to be, and he would want me to do what's right." Jason observed the scowling green ranger. "No matter how you feel, I know you understand where I'm coming from."

Tommy looked away. He did understand – _too_ well, in fact, and that's what pissed him off the most.

The younger man scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "I better get going." He gave a tight smile. "Take care of yourself, Tommy."

The captive teen watched the red ranger leave the room with a heavy heart. He pressed his palms against his temples as a migraine started to form.

Up until now, he hadn't really felt bad about what he'd done to anyone that wasn't close to him, and while it was unfortunate that so many soldiers had died during the invasion, he always viewed it as a hazard of the job.

But he hadn't considered the collateral damage. He'd tried his best in the beginning to minimize the number of civilian deaths – to have the invasion be peaceful – but it seems his efforts were in vain.

' _Ninety million people?'_ he thought miserably. _'Shit.'_

It was hard enough bearing the weight of his parents' deaths… to know that millions of innocent people were dead because of him was too much for the green ranger to process. Mothers and fathers, children… all victims of a war he selfishly brought down on them.

He swallowed the bile rising in his throat.

Jason was right.

Why the hell should anyone defend him? Destroying Zedd in no way made up for what he did – hell, he wasn't even _trying_ to save the world when he did it. Up until the very end, his only thought was of what _he_ wanted.

He didn't give a shit what happened to anyone who wasn't Kim or Ryan.

Tommy hunched over when a surge of pain suddenly rushed through his body. He gasped as his energy was drained from his body once again, his skin glowing an eerie shade of green.

He eyed the floating green candle on the other side of the room. The anger that usually came with having his power drained was, surprisingly enough, nowhere to be found. Instead, all Tommy felt was… acceptance.

What was being losing his powers compared to lives he snuffed out? It didn't even come close to the damage he's done to the people of Earth, but it was an acceptable start to his penance.

He grimaced when another wave of pain hit him. Tommy clenched his jaw and breathed harshly through his nose, shivering from the effort not to scream in agony.

He didn't have the right to cry.

He deserved this.

* * *

 **Solitary Confinement Cell 139**

 **Eltar Primary Penitentiary**

 **Capital City**

 **Several Days Later: Local time, Unknown**

The green ranger barely flinched when the tray of brown and gray mush dropped on the floor in front of him. A cup of water was placed on the ground next to the tray.

"Here."

Brown eyes moved slowly from the tray of food to connect with those of his guard, Klonis. The Eltarian squatted down and wrapped his hand around Tommy's neck, pulling a fierce glare from the teen.

"Eat…or I will force it down your throat like I did the last time," he growled. "I will not allow you to die before you can pay for what you did to my kin."

He released Tommy and kicked the tray in his direction, causing some of the food to spill onto the floor. The green ranger sat up straight, eyes devoid of any emotion as he stared at the candle behind the guard.

The wax was now down to a third of its original height.

Klonis grabbed Tommy's jaw, squeezing hard enough to leave a bruise. "Do not make me repeat myself."

The green ranger continued to stare at him, eyes defiant.

"You know, it was my understanding that Eltarians were a peaceful people," a voice said from the shadows. "That wasn't very peaceful."

Klonis glowered, releasing his grip on the green ranger. "Andros."

The KOan stepped into the dimly lit room. "I don't recall abuse being part of your job description, Klonis," he hissed, his grip tight around the saber at his waist. "Try it again, and I'll make sure it's the last thing you _ever_ do."

Klonis stared first at the saber then at Andros before deciding to stand down. "Apologies."

Tommy turned away from them and went back to staring at the candle on the other side of the room. He didn't hear what they said to each other, but the next thing he knew, Klonis was leaving the room so that the two of them were alone.

"You look better today." The green ranger continued looking at the wall. "I see the food choices still leave much to be desired." Andros reached into his bag and pulled out something wrapped in cloth. "It's not much, but it should tide you over for now."

Andros held out a bundle of food and slid his arm between the bars to pass it to the green ranger. Tommy stared at it with disinterest before looking back at the wall.

"You need to eat," he said softly. "You need your strength."

When the green ranger didn't move, Andros sighed and placed the food down on the ground inside the cell.

He cleared his throat. "Your trial date has been set – it will be held once the candle burns out. The Council only has a few more of Zedd's generals to go through before it's your turn." He frowned. "His generals have been very… _forthcoming_ with information in hopes of getting a lighter sentence."

The green ranger was able to read between the lines to understand what Andros wasn't saying. In return for sparing their lives, the generals who managed to survive Zordon's energy wave were providing more evidence to the Eltarians to use against him in his upcoming trial.

In the grand scheme of things, he guessed it was only fair for them to turn on him considering that he destroyed everything they worked and cared for.

"Gali is determined to make this trial personal," the space ranger said. "Accepting deals with the enemy is typically frowned upon by The Council, but his anger from the loss of his son… it's blinding him from seeing reason."

Tommy couldn't really blame Gali for that. If someone had hurt Ryan, he'd kill them on the spot. Revenge was a powerful motivation under the right circumstances.

He knew that better than anyone.

"We'll think of something, Tommy."

The green ranger turned at being addressed directly. He let out a dry chuckle and ran a hand over his face.

"I'm not getting out of here, and you fucking know it."

Andros raised an eyebrow. "The first time you speak to me since arriving on Eltar, and _that's_ what you have to say?" His nostrils flared. "You can't give up hope."

Tommy crawled forward, calloused hands gripping the metal bars.

"Shut. Up," he hissed angrily.

"Tommy…."

"You're not this stupid, Andros." The green ranger shook his head. "I killed his son."

"You saved the _universe_."

The older teen scoffed.

"You brought an end to a war that's been waged for millennia. Yes, it resulted in Zordon's death, but that was always a possibility – one he accepted the moment he agreed to become more active in the fight against the Dark Empire." The space ranger stood. "Gali knows this is true, and we will make him see beyond his grief."

Tommy sighed – it wasn't too long ago that he tried to make the same argument to Jason.

"Now _you're_ the one who can't see reason."

"What are you talking about?"

The green ranger narrowed his eyes. "Would you be saying _any_ of this if it wasn't just as personal for you?" he asked nastily. "You hated Zedd for what he was doing to your planet and for what he did to Karone. You didn't give a _damn_ what it took to get rid of him – you were even willing to let me kill Jason if it came down to it."

Andros clenched his jaw. "None of that changes all the good you've done."

"Did you _forget_ that I led the invasion on Earth?" His grip on the bars grew lax. "Millions of people are _dead_ because of what I started." He closed his eyes and rest his head against the bars. "Even if Zordon were alive, I have too much blood on my hands."

"Tommy, no one is arguing that you're innocent. You _have_ to pay for your crimes," Andros said. "But death doesn't have to be the _only_ way. Zedd was an evil tyrant who didn't have a shred of good in him – he deserved to die. You don't."

Tommy sighed. "Andros…"

The space ranger licked his lips, his frustration evident. "Look, when you were Rita's green ranger, did you kill anyone?"

The captive teen frowned. "No."

He'd gotten close to killing, but he'd always been held back by Rita's incompetence. At most, he'd injured civilians.

"And if you had full control of yourself, would you have killed anyone when you worked for Zedd?"

The green ranger looked off to the side. He wasn't so sure about the answer to that question. His time in solitude gave him the chance to reflect on how fucked up of a person he truly was – who was he to say he wouldn't have killed of his own volition?"

"You weren't in your right mind and worked for him under duress. You can't be held fully responsible for your actions when you served under him."

"I know, Andros, I was there," Tommy reminded him sharply before snorting at the ridiculousness of it all. "Is that the defense you're putting together for me? He made me do it?"

The space ranger bristled at Tommy's tone. "It's the truth."

"No, it's not! And if you honestly believe that'll work, then I'm already dead."

" _Hey!_ " Tommy jumped when Andros slammed his hands against the bars in anger. "You want to die in here? Fine! Tell me now so I can stop wasting time trying to save your _sorry_ ass."

The green ranger blinked in surprise – had he ever heard him curse before?

Andros looked at him in disgust. "I would've thought with everything that's happened, you wouldn't want to leave Kim or your son behind."

"Of _course_ I don't," Tommy whispered fiercely. "But how I feel doesn't change the fact that I'm guilty." He squeezed the bars in a white-knuckled grip. "Getting out of this just isn't possible."

"Haven't you learned yet that anything is possible?" Andros asked with a light smile.

The green ranger rolled his eyes so hard, he was afraid they might get stuck. "You've _got_ to be fucking kidding me right now."

He turned and headed further into his cell, back resting against the wall as he looked at the space ranger.

"Listen... I know Zedd's death broke the spell he placed on you. I'm not even trying to read your mind, and I can feel the guilt weighing down your thoughts." He shook his head. "You can't let it consume you, Tommy – you have too much to live for." Andros took a deep breath, voice going soft. "I'll do all that I can to help you, but I can't do it alone. You have to fight for yourself, too."

Silence lingered between them for several seconds as the green ranger considered his words.

He wasn't sure he could do that.

Tommy looked down at the floor and cleared his throat. "How exactly are you gonna convince the Eltarians of all this, huh? What proof do you have?"

"Proof…" Andros repeated slowly, a faraway look in his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed softly. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

The green ranger furrowed his brow. "Andros?"

The KOan shook his head and looked at his watch. "I have to go."

"What… _now?_ " Tommy asked incredulously. "Where are you going?"

"On a trip. You gave me an idea that just might save your life." He pointed at the green ranger, a fierceness in his eyes that wasn't there before. " _Fight_ , Tommy."

Tommy frowned when Andros headed for the exit. He hated to admit it, but he was a little sad now that Andros was leaving. Granted, he was still apissed at him for turning him in to the Eltarians, but it had been nice to speak to someone who didn't hate him for a change.

"Andros, wait!" he called out. The space ranger stopped short of the exit to turn back and face the green ranger. "Kim and Ryan… are they okay?"

"They're fine, Tommy. They're here on Eltar at Zordon's old estate – they'll be staying there for the duration of your trial."

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

He figured they were okay, but it was nice to have confirmation.

"If you see Kim before you leave, tell her…" He swallowed thickly. "Tell her that I'm sorry. For everything."

The KOan stared at him for some time before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Tommy, but no, I can't do that."

"Why not?" the green ranger asked sharply.

"Because she deserves to hear it from you." Andros' gaze softened. "You _know_ that."

Tommy exhaled loudly and looked away.

"Please, just… just do this for me, all right?" he asked softly. "I don't want her here."

"She's already seen you at your worst – more than once, mind you. I'm sure she can handle seeing you locked up just fine."

"It's not for her benefit," the green ranger whispered.

Hazel eyes narrowed in understanding before looking away. "I'll return as soon as I can."

Tommy swore softly under his breath, conflicted about what to do. Kim and Ryan meant everything to him – could he really just give up on them?

Guilt made it easy to forget that they existed beyond all the pain, but now that they were at the forefront of his mind, he couldn't see how he could give up on them.

Maybe Andros was right. Maybe he needed to fight.

The green ranger scowled, shaking his head. That would just be more of what got him into this mess in the first place. Fighting for what he wants and needs instead of doing what was best for others.

How could he in good conscience fight for his life like he deserved to live when he knew without a doubt that wasn't true? What kind of life would he be damning Kim and Ryan to if he managed to stick around? They'd never be accepted with him in their lives.

But what kind of man would he be if he left Kim to raise their son alone and abandoned them?

He groaned, running a hand over his head in frustration.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

* * *

 **Solitary Confinement Cell 139**

 **Eltar Penitentiary Annex**

 **Capital City**

 **Several Days Later: Local time, Unknown**

Tommy stood tall as he stared out the window, eyes drawn to the wisps of gray and purple in the sky. He wished he could leave his cell for just a moment to go out and breathe the fresh air instead of the stale odor of his prison cell, but he supposed even that was more than he deserved.

He sighed when the outer door to his holding area creaked.

"I said no visitors, Klonis!" he yelled.

"And to think… I walked all the way over here just to see you."

The green ranger turned sharply, surprised to see Zack of all people standing there. The black ranger flashed a crooked smile as he steadied himself on his cane.

"Zack…" Tommy's mouth felt dry. "I didn't – you – sorry." He motioned to the nearby chair. "Please sit."

Zack nodded, easing himself down into the chair. He held the cane against his thigh and looked around the room. "Nice place."

Tommy chuckled. "Yeah, I'm just… living it up in here."

The black ranger looked him up and down, head cocked to the side. "Why are you in your underwear?"

The green ranger chuckled. No one else had asked yet. "Can't trust me with my clothes on, apparently."

"Hm." Zack's gaze landed on the floating candle in the corner. "And that?

"Powerdraining Candle." Tommy frowned at how low it was, less than a quarter-inch of wax remaining. "Once it's out, my powers will be gone."

"Good riddance," Zack mumbled. He shrugged at Tommy's glare. "No offense, but you're _kinda_ the worst when you have those powers."

Tommy couldn't really argue that. "So… you came all the way out here… to visit _me_?"

The black ranger snorted. "No. I had a meeting with The Council to discuss your trial."

The captive teen nodded. "You're testifying?"

"That's the request." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Decided to stop by since I was already over this way… see how things were in your neck of the woods." He whistled lowly. "Sucks to be you, dude."

"Understatement of the year."

Tommy watched the black ranger curiously as silence stretched between them. He and Zack were never really friends – not close ones anyway, so he knew there had to be more to this unexpected visit.

"Wanna tell me why you're _really_ here, Zack?"

The black ranger leaned back in the chair. "I'm here because we both know there's no way in hell the Eltarians are gonna let you just walk outta here alive after everything you've done." The green ranger flinched at his bluntness. "So since it's pretty certain you're gonna die, there are a few things I need to get off my chest while I still can."

Tommy clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Well, you're in luck, Zack…" He took a seat on the cell floor. "I'm a captive audience."

Silence settled over them for several seconds while the black ranger furrowed his brow, as if contemplating his next words. "You know, from the _moment_ we met, something about you just…rubbed me the wrong way."

The green ranger rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I gathered that."

"Nah, you don't get it." He shook his head. "I'm good at reading people, Tommy, _really_ good… and from day one, I got nothing but bad vibes from you."

Tommy swallowed thickly. "That so?"

"I thought it was jealousy in the beginning. Jase put in so much effort to be your friend that I felt a little cheated – thought maybe that I was projecting at first. But the little things started adding up – the cockiness, the way you ran through girls…" Disgust crossed his face. "The way you flirted with Kim when you thought no one was paying attention." He glared at Tommy then. "I could see the type of person you were, even when no one else could."

The green ranger averted his gaze, unable to look Zack in the eye.

"You know… the day we found out you were the green ranger… I might've been the only one that hadn't been shocked." He shrugged at Tommy's incredulous look. "Rita could have picked anyone as the green ranger – hell, it could've even been me – but she chose _you_. I don't think that was by accident."

Tommy's stomach tightened uncomfortably. Zedd practically told him as much the last time he'd been captured. He was _always_ meant to be the green ranger. Maybe Rita saw the same thing in him that Zack saw – the darkness that lived just below the surface.

Zack cocked his head to the side. "I was even less surprised when you chose to stay with her after we broke the spell."

Tommy clenched his jaw. "I only took the powers because I was – "

"You took them because you're an opportunist," Zack interrupted with a growl. "Any time you saw the chance to take what you wanted, you did, and you didn't give a fuck about the consequences."

The heat behind Zack's words made him wince. He knew what the black ranger was referring to – Kim, Jason, the invasion, probably even the time he slept with Zack's girlfriend, Angela.

Jesus, he really _was_ a terrible fucking person.

The green ranger ran a hand through his hair, willing himself not to cry in front of the other teen.

"Why are you telling me this, Zack?" he rasped.

"Because if all of that is true… I don't understand how that person is the same one who went out of his way to save my life."

Tommy looked at him then, now able to see the conflict on the black ranger's face.

"Zack…"

"Why?" he asked, tone almost angry. "Why did you save me?"

The green ranger looked away. "Don't you remember? I thought you were Jason. He was who I was after, not you."

"But I was already dying," Zack pressed. He leaned forward in the chair, hand gripping the cane tightly. "You could have just let me die – it's not like Zedd would've minded us being down one ranger."

Tommy sighed. "Like I said, Jason was – "

"I killed Scorpina!" Zack yelled, causing Tommy to flinch. "I took out one of your top generals. You had every _reason_ to want me dead, regardless of whether or not I was Jason."

"Don't you think I know that?" the captive teen hissed, chest burning at the memory of Scorpina's death. "She was my friend and you _killed_ her right in front of me!"

"Then _why_?"

"I don't know!" he shouted. Tommy closed his eyes, hands clasped together as he dropped his voice to a whisper. "I don't know, all right?" He ran a hand over his face. "I just couldn't let you die."

It was the truth. He still wasn't even sure why he needed to save Zack that night, only that his death was unacceptable.

"You could've let me die…you _should've_ let me die… you _chose_ not to," the black ranger corrected. He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Thank you."

The green ranger blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected that.

"I'm not usually wrong, especially about people… but I'm glad I was about you." Zack looked away briefly. "I thought for sure you were going to let me die, but you didn't. Whatever the reason… I'm grateful." He gripped the cane tighter and cleared his throat. "I just uh... I just needed to say that to you before..."

Tommy didn't know what to say in response, throat suddenly too tight from the swell of emotions, so he just nodded.

"Unfortunately, this means I owe you one now… and I don't like owing _you_ shit."

The green ranger forced a chuckle. "You don't owe me anything, Zack."

"Yeah, I do."

Tommy watched Zack rise to his feet and head out of the room, his pace slow but steady. He knocked on the metal door to let Klonis know to let him out.

"Don't make me regret this," he called out over his shoulder as he exited the room.

' _Regret what?'_

Shuffling and hushed whispers was all that was heard for a few seconds, and the green ranger furrowed his brow.

"Klonis?"

His heart sped up when instead he saw a familiar petite figure walk into the room in a long-sleeved pink shirt and acid-wash jeans.

"Kim?" he croaked, climbing to his feet.

The pink ranger approached him with a guarded expression, arms wrapped around herself protectively.

"Yeah, it's me," she whispered, eyes on the floor.

"W-What're you doing here?"

"Trini and I helped Zack go down to speak to The Council. We waited outside when he said he wanted to talk to you." She frowned. "He said I needed to see you."

' _So that's what he meant.'_

"Right." He gripped the bars, palms feeling clammy against the cool metal. "H-How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"When I woke up, I didn't know where you were… I was so worried about you."

She clenched her jaw. "Like I said, I'm fine."

Her tone was clipped, and from her body language, he could tell she didn't want to be there. It was as if being physically near him was a chore – a far cry from how things were between them the last time they were together.

Tommy sighed, forehead pressed against the bars. "Kim…"

"I have to go, Tommy."

She turned around, heading for the door.

"I didn't want to kill him," he said, tone remorseful. "It was the only way."

The pink ranger froze but didn't turn around. Her reaction let him know he hit the nail right on the head.

He'd killed the only father she could truly depend on.

"I know how much he meant to you, and I _swear_ if there had been any other way I'd have taken it, Kim… but there was no time, and Zedd had to be stopped." His voice dropped to a whisper. "You know I'm telling the truth."

He saw her shoulders slump and closed his eyes in defeat. "I know I sound like a broken record – all I ever seem to do is hurt you and then apologize afterwards like it makes things better." He licked his lips. "But I'm sorry, Kim… I'm so, so fucking sorry."

She turned around then, and he could see the tears streaming down her face.

"I know," she whispered. "But it doesn't make it hurt any less."

He nodded, guilt weighing heavily on him. Even if he'd done it for the right reasons, they seemed hollow when faced with her hurt and anger head-on.

"How's Ryan?" he asked after a while, shifting the conversation to a less painful topic. She smiled appreciatively.

"He's good. He's too little to understand the magnitude of what's going on, so everything just seems like an adventure to him."

A ghost of a smile graced Tommy's lips at the thought of his son. "I'm glad."

"I'll just be happy when I can get him back home. His routine's been broken ever since we got here."

' _Get him back home,'_ Tommy thought miserably. _'When the trial is over, and I've been sentenced to death.'_

It came to him then that the trial would be the last time he would ever see his son. Ryan wouldn't even be old enough to remember his last moments with his father, a thought that made Tommy feel like he couldn't breathe.

He stared at the pink ranger intently, a question on the tip of his tongue that he knew he had no right to ask.

But if he was going to die anyway…

"Kim…" He licked his lips. "I know I shouldn't put you in this position… but I need something from you."

"From me?" She furrowed her brow. "…What?"

"I know the plan is to tell everyone that Jason is Ryan's father, but I want him to know about me."

She took a step back, brown eyes bright with mounting anger. "Tommy, you can't ask me to – "

He reached through the bars and grabbed her hands, pulling her closer to him so that she was flush against the bars.

"Kim, I'm going to die." This made her go eerily quiet. "I need my son to know who I was and that I loved him enough to die for him." He squeezed her hands. "You don't have to tell him until he's older, when he can understand better what all of this means… but I need you to promise me you'll tell him one day. _Please_."

She studied him silently, her ire fading away with each passing second. She sighed before nodding. "I promise."

He exhaled slowly, now feeling as though a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

"Thank you," he said, squeezing her fingers tightly. "Thank you."

Kim cleared her throat and stepped back, dropping his hands. "Listen… Trini and Zack – they're waiting on me. And Ryan's probably – "

He reached out and grabbed her wrists, tugging her back to him. Large hands cupped her face, and he leaned down to press a searing kiss to her lips through the bars. Kim covered his hands with hers but didn't pull away, instead relaxing into the heated kiss. Tommy gasped softly when his tongue collided with hers, passion rising as he tried desperately to burn this moment into his memory. She stood on the tips of her toes to reach him better, sucking his tongue into her mouth.

Tommy broke the kiss only when his lungs burned for air, face now flushed. Kim blinked at him with hooded eyes, her lips plump and wet. He leaned down again and brushed his lips against hers.

"Kim," he whispered against her mouth, eyes searching her face.

His breath caught in his throat then, and he struggled to find the words to express himself. He wanted to tell her so many things in that moment, but his mouth couldn't keep up with his thoughts. Instead, he kissed her again, pouring everything he felt into that kiss – all the love, anger, sadness, joy, and guilt he felt from being with her. With every swipe of his tongue against hers, he tried to tell her how much she meant to him and everything that was in his heart.

Tommy tapered off the kiss slowly, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. He nuzzled his nose against hers through the bars, eyes closed. "I – "

Kim blinked back tears and ran her thumb over his lips, stopping those three words from being spoken. She cupped his jaw and pressed another fierce kiss to his lips before pulling away.

"I know."

And he knew she did from the look in her eyes. She understood him completely.

He held her hand through the bars as she backed away for as long as he could until he was forced to let her go. The pink ranger gave one last watery look his way before heading for the door.

Thankfully, he was able to hold it together until she left the room. Once Kim was gone, however, the floodgates opened, and he broke down crying against the bars.

They always said you couldn't die with unfinished business, and Kimberly was that for him. Granted, things were far from fixed between them, but there was a finality to their last moment together that let him know that things were at least somewhat settled.

And now… well, this was it.

At only nineteen-years-old, Tommy Oliver was ready to accept his fate.

He was going to be sentenced to die on a foreign planet where no one gave a damn about him.

He'd never see his son again. Or Kim. Or anyone else for that matter.

He'd never see the Earth or the sun or the moon again.

He'd never hear another song or watch another episode of the Simpsons or get better at martial arts. He'd never be able to go to college, to fuck around and get drunk and make stupid decisions like a normal teen his age.

His life was going to be snuffed out before it could really even start, and he had no one to blame but himself.

Full-body sobs racked his frame as he slid to the floor, cradling his knees to his chest. He cried and cried until he couldn't cry anymore, curling up in a ball on the floor. Brown eyes eventually drooped as the exhaustion from his emotional breakdown caught up to him, and he gave in to the sweet lull of sleep.

And as he closed his eyes for the last time that night, the last thing Tommy saw before sleep finally claimed him was the flame of the green candle finally going out.

* * *

 **Main Corridor**

 **Eltar Penitentiary Annex**

 **Capital City**

 **Next Day: Local time, Unknown**

The former green ranger stared straight ahead as he made his way down the long corridor. Klonis held tight to his arm as he guided the captive teen down the hallway, as if he were afraid Tommy might bolt. Several of Zedd's surviving men yelled at Tommy as he walked by – some in glee that he was finally going to trial, others with rage and bitterness at his betrayal. Only one – Finster – showed any sympathy for his situation.

He kept his eyes forward as he listened to the jeers, not wanting to give them any sign that he was affected by their words.

They stopped outside of a set of large, stone double-doors that were over twenty feet high. A guard stood on either side of the doors, faces emotionless save for the fire in their eyes at the sight of Tommy. They turned and pushed the doors open.

' _This is it,'_ he thought nervously. He grunted when Klonis shoved him through the doorway.

As they made their way inside, Tommy was startled by how many people were in the room. There had to be at least two hundred people there. The attendees were mostly Eltarians, all dressed in different color robes and glaring down at him. Scattered throughout the audience were members of the different power ranger teams. Most of them were in uniform, with the Earth team being the only team dressed in street clothes.

His eyes softened when he caught sight of Kimberly sitting near the front of the room with Trini and Zack on either side. The black ranger was bouncing a smiling Ryan on his lap, making silly faces to keep the baby entertained.

He immediately noticed that Ryan was bigger than the last time he saw him. The boy was now appeared to be able to sit himself upright without assistance, and there were two small teeth sticking out from his bottom gums.

Tommy pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. His son was growing up, and he was missing _all_ of it.

Next to Zack sat Billy, who was trying to discreetly move out of Ryan's reach each time the little boy tried to grab his glasses. Jason sat at the end of the group, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Tommy with a stern expression.

Klonis released Tommy once he was in the middle of the room, all eyes drawn to him. The guards had shaved his head and beard again, leaving no evidence of the condition he'd been living in while in prison. He was barefoot still, though he now wore dark gray pants that fit him loosely instead of just his underwear. His wrists were still shackled, along with his feet, and the metal clanked softly as he squirmed under the heated stares.

A loud slam rang out above him, and he looked up to see Gali glaring down at him.

"We will begin the trial of Thomas Oliver, former green ranger and commander of the now defunct Dark Empire." Gali lifted a piece of paper in the air. "He is being charged with the following crimes…"

Tommy looked down at his feet as the Eltarian rattled off the list.

Manslaughter. Assault and battery. Larceny. Treason. Mayhem. Arson. Conspiracy. Murder.

Gali's eyes fell on the former green ranger. "Are you ready?"

Tommy closed his eyes, head hanging low. "Yes."

Gali faced the members of The Council. "Kilari, you may begin."

The former green ranger wasn't exactly sure how Eltarian court worked, but he quickly gathered it wasn't the same as on Earth. There didn't appear to be any prosecution or defense teams, no unboased jury – only The Council.

"We will start with the written accounts," the Eltarian named Kilari said. "Do we have any for this trial?"

"Yes, Kilari." One of the councilwomen stood up. "Prior to this trial, nine generals of the Dark Empire army were tried and convicted of their crimes during their service to Lord Zedd. In exchange for a lighter sentence, those individuals provided firsthand accounts of the crimes committed by Thomas Oliver during his time serving as Lord Zedd's green ranger." She held up a stack of papers. "I will read their accounts aloud for the room."

The former green ranger closed his eyes as she read through the documents, fingers twitching each time a particularly damning detail was revealed.

She explained how he made the choice to stay with Rita after the Sword of Darkness had been destroyed and the spell broken. She spoke of how it his idea to suspend Zordon in his time warp while he destroyed the rangers' zords, leaving the Earth defenseless as he led the invasion. She recounted his plan to cause chaos and panic by targeting the major cities and religious centers of the Earth, destroying them in an effort to destabilize the governments and demoralize the population. She even spoke of his skill on the battlefield, describing in gruesome detail how he mercilessly killed hundreds with his own hands in the name of the Dark Empire.

By all accounts, Tommy was a ruthless, calculating warrior who did whatever it took to carry out his mission.

A heavy silence filled the room when she was done, and all eyes fell on him. Tommy swallowed thickly as he looked around the room. Horror, disgust, anger, and hate were reflected back at him.

They looked at him like he was a monster.

Maybe they were right.

"Given the severity of your crimes, you have the right to give your own account before The Council." Kilari peered down at him. "Is there anything you wish to say on your behalf?"

Tommy turned when he felt Andros staring at him. Fight… that's what the KOan told him to do. But he couldn't find the strength to do it in the face of the accusing glares from the crowd.

He looked down at the ground. "I have nothing to say on my behalf," he whispered.

"Very well," Kilari said, tone laced with surprise. "Does The Council wish to question the accused on the details shared in these accounts?"

None of the Eltarians spoke up.

"Then we shall proceed with the witnesses." Kilari looked around the room. "Witness One … are you here?"

"Yes," Zack said, standing with his cane in hand to help keep his balance. Kim was now holding Ryan in her lap.

"You have agreed to give an account today. Please make your way down."

Those watching in the stands moved aside as the black ranger slowly climbed down the steps.

"State your name and relationship to the accused for the record."

"My name is Zachary Taylor, the black ranger of Earth. As for my relationship to Tommy…" He glanced at the shackled teen. "We were never exactly friends, but once he became the green ranger… he was my enemy."

Tommy listened halfheartedly as Zack answered question after question about him. Disparaging remarks aside, Zack's description of him was pretty accurate. Arrogant, a bit of a womanizer, narcissistic, and not exactly the world's greatest friend – and that was all before he was even the green ranger.

God, no wonder Rita and Zedd picked him.

"… and me? Well, I _never_ trusted the guy… and it turns out my instincts were right."

"Did you expect him to remain the green ranger after the spell was broken?"

"Expect it? No," Zack said. "Surprised by it? Hardly."

"And the behavior he exhibited as the green ranger?"

Zack bit down on his lip thoughtfully. "…some things surprised me more than others."

"Like?" Kilari pressed.

The black ranger was quiet for some time. "Like when he saved my life."

Tommy blinked in surprise, while the councilmembers looked at each other in confusion.

"Come again?" one of them said.

Zack looked down. "It was in Washington D.C. I'd just killed Scorpina, which must've _really_ pissed him off because he came at me like a bat out of hell." The black ranger rubbed at the spot on his abdomen where he'd been stabbed. "Gutted me right there on the battlefield. I thought I was dead…" He looked at Tommy. "And then I wasn't."

"And you're _sure_ it was him who saved your life?"

"Positive. Can't forget something like that." Zack sighed and faced The Council. "Listen, the truth is this… Tommy Oliver is an asshole who deserves to rot for all the crap he's pulled. He's selfish, manipulative, and I wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire." He paused, grip on his cane tight. "But I also know I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him, and that's just as much the truth as anything else."

A long silence fell over the room as Kilari studied the black ranger. "If that is all, you may return to your seat."

Zack nodded and carefully made his way back into the stands. Ryan reached for him when he sat down, tiny hands drawn to Zack's wrist communicator. The black ranger cracked a smile and ran his fingers through the baby's hair as he tried his best to eat the metal device.

"Witness Two… please come down to give your account."

Jason rose to his feet, expression pensive. The room was quiet as he made his way down the large stone steps.

"State your name and relationship to the accused for the record."

"Jason Lee Scott, red ranger and leader of the Earth team. My relationship with Tommy is… complicated." He crossed his arms over his chest. "We were best friends, then enemies, and most recently, teammates."

The councilmembers scribbled down some notes on the sheets in front of them.

"And how did you come to know the accused?

Tommy kept his eyes downcast as Jason spoke of their former friendship, starting from their very first match at the karate expo in the Youth Center back in junior year. He felt an uncomfortable twist in his chest at the warmth in Jason's tone, sick to his stomach to realize that some part of Jason still remembered him fondly in spite of everything that happened.

"You broke the spell Rita Repulsa had on the accused, correct?"

"Yes."

"And is it true that he then chose to stay aligned with the Dark Empire of his own free will?"

The red ranger hesitated before answering. "…Yes."

"And is it also true that after Rita's death, he then willingly chose to become Lord Zedd's green ranger?"

Tommy could read the discomfort on Jason's face. "Yes, but it wasn't…"

One of the councilwomen furrowed her brow when he didn't continue. "It wasn't what, red ranger?"

"He wouldn't have done it if I hadn't…" Jason cast a glance into the stands, and Tommy knew that he'd looked at Kimberly. The red ranger ran a hand over his face. "It's all my fault."

Tommy stared at Jason. _'What are you doing?'_

" _What_ is your fault?" another councilmember pressed.

Jason exhaled shakily. "I'm the reason he chose to be the green ranger after the spell broke. I failed him."

Murmurs could be heard in the crowd.

"Explain."

"When Tommy was captured by Rita," the red ranger began. "I had to give up my power coin in exchange for his release and – "

A councilwoman dismissed him with a wave. "You needn't explain, child. It's a timeless ploy enemies use to try and bend others to their will. You didn't have the experience to know she would double-cross you."

"You don't understand," Jason said forcefully. "I never – "

He stopped, eyes locked on a wide-eyed Tommy who stood a few feet away. The former green ranger didn't even realize he was shaking his head until Jason had stopped talking.

"Yes?"

Jason opened his mouth to finish, but Tommy shook his head harder, willing him to be quiet.

The red ranger blinked in confusion. "I – "

" _Shut. Up_ ," Tommy mouthed to him. " _Shut. Up. Now._ "

"Red ranger, if you have something to say..."

"Sorry, I was just…" Jason turned back to The Council. "I just meant I didn't try hard enough to save him." He swallowed thickly. "I feel personally responsible. For everything."

"That is the weight of leadership," Gali said in such a comforting tone that Tommy wouldn't have believed came from him if he hadn't witnessed it himself.

The red ranger glanced at Tommy once more before continuing, moving on to battling Tommy during his time as Zedd's green ranger. His words faded into the background, though, as Tommy mentally berated himself.

Why did he stop Jason from telling the truth? Admitting his role in Tommy's decision to be the green ranger might have been his only chance at saving his life, or at the very least guarantee he wouldn't face punishment alone.

Why did he let that slip through his fingers?

' _Because it's what I deserve,'_ he thought dejectedly.

The weight of his crimes was his to bear alone. Dragging Jason through the mud, while a satisfying thought, did little to help his situation. Dick move of leaving him at the Lunar Palace aside, Jason hadn't done anything that could remotely compare to the horrible shit he's done. With the cloud of revenge and anger now lifted, Tommy could grudgingly admit the red ranger had probably suffered enough in trying to atone for his mistakes.

"…the operation to take down Zedd. The intel he gave allowed us to systematically attack and cripple the Dark Empire in a way we'd never been able to before," Tommy heard Jason say as he refocused on his testimony. "It was our first successful counterattack against Zedd ever."

"You sound grateful," Kilari observed.

"I am," the red ranger said. "It's hard to stay positive when you fight so hard just to keep failing. It was nice to have the upper hand for once."

More scribbling was heard. "And you feel his assistance was the key to your success?"

"What I know is that without his help, we weren't winning," Jason answered after a long pause. "… and with him, we finally did."

Gali sat back in his chair with a faraway expression, eyes assessing the teen before him.

"When did the accused inform you that the only way to defeat Lord Zedd was by killing Zordon?" he asked.

Jason blinked. "I… he didn't."

"He didn't," the Eltarian repeated slowly.

"We discussed taking Zedd down, but Zordon's death wasn't how we decided to – "

"So it was _not_ the only way to defeat Lord Zedd?" Gali interrupted.

"Well, no, but – "

"Were you even aware that Zordon's death could defeat him?"

"…No."

"So the green ranger ended the war using a method that was _not_ agreed upon with the power rangers, one that would both destroy the Dark Empire _and_ cripple the Eltarian Empire? And he did this despite knowing of alternatives beforehand… is that right?"

The hesitation was clear as day on Jason's face. "…Yes, but – "

Tommy flinched at the sharp whispers around him.

The red ranger clenched his fists. "Whatever plans we made went out the window the moment Zedd figured out what we were up to," he said, voice rough with emotion. "We were surrounded and severely outnumbered, and we were running out of time." He relaxed his hands, voice going soft. "Tommy was wrong not to tell us what he was going to do, but if he had – we would've tried to stop him." He looked at Tommy. "Not a single one of us would have been strong enough to – " His voice cracked. " – to let him kill Zordon, and he meant too much to us for one of _us_ take his life, even if it meant saving the universe."

Kilari narrowed his eyes, expression curious. "You believe the green ranger did the right thing."

"I think he did what was necessary," the red ranger replied.

"And what of his crimes?" Gali asked.

"What about them?"

"Well, you talk as if you admire him in spite of everything he's done."

"… I don't. The lives he's saved can't make up for the lives lost and destroyed under his command." Jason toyed with his wrist communicator. "He has my respect and gratitude for what he did in taking down Zedd, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't pay the price for his crimes."

Tommy felt the familiar urge to lash out at the red ranger for his hypocrisy, but he fought against it. Pulling Jason down with him after all he'd done to the red ranger would be just another cruel deed to add to his list.

And Ryan didn't deserve to miss out on having a father in his life just to soothe Tommy's ego.

He couldn't have _that_ on his conscience, too.

Kilari nodded. "Very well, red ranger. If you're done, please return to your seat."

Jason gave a tight nod before turning and heading back to join his teammates in the stands. The red ranger managed to hold eye contact with the captive teen for all of five seconds before averting his gaze.

"Witness Three… come forward to give your account."

The rest of the trial proceeded in much the same manner. Billy, Trini, and Alpha 5 gave their accounts, as well members not from the Earth team, like the Aquitian rangers. All of them helped to paint a clearer picture for The Council who he was on and off the battlefield.

To Tommy's surprise, Kim hadn't come down yet to give her account, and from the looks of it, she wasn't planning to. He was sure she'd been asked – being a member of the Earth team would automatically give more weight to anything she said. And yet…

He couldn't help the small flutter that caused in his stomach.

"Thank you, Alpha," Kilari said as the automaton waddled back to his seat. "And now the final witness… Witness Eleven."

Andros stood up. "Present."

"Please come down to give your account."

The space ranger headed down the steps to the center of the room. Tommy found it difficult to get a read on his expression.

The last time he spoke to Andros was that day he came by his cell and told him to fight. The space ranger had left abruptly, inspired by some idea he was convinced could save Tommy's life.

' _What the hell are you up to, Andros?'_

"State your name and relationship to the accused for the record."

The two-toned teen raised his hand in salute. "Andros of KO-35, red space ranger, leader of the Space team, and leader of the KOan rebellion." He dropped his hand to rest at his side. "Tommy Oliver is one of my co-conspirators in the plan to take down the Dark Empire… and my friend."

The shackled teen nearly did a double-take at the KOan's bold statement. He wanted to slap Andros for saying something so stupid, but a small part of him deep down was touched by such a public display of loyalty.

And from the looks on the councilmembers' faces, he wasn't the only one that was surprised.

' _What the hell are you doing?'_ Tommy projected towards him. He saw the KOan wince in response.

' _Saving your life,'_ he answered sharply. _'At least_ one _of us has to try.''_

' _We talked about this. I deserve what's coming to me – leave it alone, Andros. If you were really my friend, you would respect my wishes.'_

' _Yes, but as your friend, I must also do everything in my power to help you, even when you refuse to help yourself.'_

Tommy hated the way the KOans fierce determination to fight for him warmed his heart. _'God dammit, Andros, don't – '_

Kilari cleared his throat before leaning forward. "How is it that you came to know the accused?"

"We met on KO-35… when he came to negotiate with the rebel leaders on behalf of the Dark Empire."

The former green ranger blinked in surprise. That meeting felt like it'd been _years_ ago… had that really been the first time they met?

"Regarding?"

"A treaty with the rebels."

"I'm surprised you agreed to negotiate."

"I had no interest in making any deal with Lord Zedd after what he'd done to my people," Andros clarified. "But I was… _intrigued_ when I learned the green ranger would be his representative. I accepted the meeting to learn more."

"Is this meeting when you broached the topic of working together to fight Lord Zedd?"

"No. I told him he needed to take Zedd down, but he wasn't interested. The subject came up again much later, after Zordon requested that I assist with the invasion on Earth." He glanced at the captive teen. "And it was Tommy who asked to work together, not me."

" _His_ idea?" one of the councilmembers asked incredulously. "And you agreed, despite knowing the atrocities he's committed?"

"Yes… but only with the Earth team's approval, of course."

Gali scoffed, face clouded with disgust. "Why not seek aid elsewhere? Surely you could have asked The Council for assistance."

"Fighting Zedd required a timely response, one which I did not believe The Council could meet."

"But he could?"

"Yes," Andros replied. "The plan required immediate action, and I believed our goals were aligned such that he would – "

"And what if they hadn't been?" Gali snapped irritably. "Trusting him after all that he's done, you know better than to be so foolish, Andros!"

The hairs on the back of Tommy's neck rose at the way Gali scolded the KOan. He saw Andros' nostrils flare with anger.

"Zordon gave us his blessing," Andros said coolly. "I would imagine The Council wouldn't consider _him_ to be foolish."

There was a flash of blue in Gali's eyes as he glared at the space ranger.

Brown eyes moved back and forth between Gali and Andros several times before closing with a groan. Tommy had nearly forgotten about the bad blood between Andros and the Eltarians in the fallout over their failure to help with Goldgoyle's attack on KO-35. From the looks of things, he'd wager there was still plenty of resentment on both sides.

The stare down was interrupted by Kilari clearing his throat.

"Zordon's judgment is not under question, Andros, yours is," the Eltarian said sternly. "Why did you agree to work with the green ranger?"

"I supported his reasons for wanting to fight against Zedd."

"Which were?"

Andros simply stared at The Council and said nothing.

"I asked you a question, red ranger."

"His reasons are his own," Andros replied after some time. "I could tell you what I know, but it would just lead to questions that I can't and shouldn't answer." He looked at the captive teen. "That has to be Tommy." He looked back at The Council. "What's important is that I trusted him, and so did Zordon."

One of the councilmembers sighed. "Fair enough… but his crimes were – "

"Inexcusable, yes," the KOan finished. "But the past is meant be a stepping stone to build a better future, not a reason to hold you back." He eyed the councilmembers one by one. "One of the first things you taught me at The Academy was that _anyone_ is capable of doing good. Maybe The Council no longer believes that, but I do, especially if it meant we could finally win this war."

The councilmembers wore uncomfortable expressions at the KOan's words, except for Gali, who Tommy thought just looked annoyed.

"We are well aware of the Eltarian code, Andros, but you still haven't answered my question," Gali hissed. "Whatever his reason for turning on Zedd, you still haven't explained how you were certain that the green ranger wouldn't betray you. Faith alone is not enough to justify such a rash decision."

Andros took his time before answering. "As I said before, I will not disclose his reasons for fighting against Zedd, but I can say, regardless of his reasons, it was in his best interest for Lord Zedd to be taken out of the equation."

"Why?" one of the female councilmembers asked. "He had one of the most lucrative positions in the Dark Empire. Why would he want to give that up?"

"To save his sanity."

Gali sighed. "If you're going to tell us that he had some moral awakening – "

"I'm not," the space ranger interrupted.

Gali narrowed his eyes. "Then _explain_."

"I read his mind, or rather, I attempted to… but I was unsuccessful." Andros licked his lips. "Zedd's spell was already too far gone."

"Spell?" Kilari asked in surprise. "What spell?"

"Zedd did not believe the green ranger could reach his full potential if he allowed certain emotions to dictate his actions. He gave Tommy two options – be his green ranger on the condition that his ability to feel guilt was removed… or die."

" _That's_ what he told you?" Tommy could hear the skepticism in Gali's voice. "And you believed him?"

"He didn't need to tell me anything – he was already hallucinating by the time we met," Andros explained. "I've studied the mind since I was a child – the damage to his was apparent and unnatural. Whatever Zedd did was slowly destroyinghis mind, and the only way to fix it was to break the spell. Short of Zedd ending it himself, the only way to accomplish that was to kill him."

The Council murmured softly among themselves for a few seconds before turning back to Andros.

"If such a spell existed, that would mean the green ranger may not be responsible for his actions," a female councilmember said. "Do you have any evidence of such a spell being used on the accused?"

"…I have no evidence," he said softly. "But if you'll allow it, I have something else that can be used to substantiate his claim."

Kilari nodded. "We'll allow it."

Andros turned and waved at someone on the other side of the room. Tommy turned, surprised to see Zhane standing by the courtroom entrance. The blond gave a curt nod before leaving the courtroom, returning a few seconds later with a metal box under his arm.

And someone in tow.

At Zhane's side stood a thin, cloaked figure. The person seemed to be tucking into Zhane's side to hide from the stares as they walked. The silver ranger whispered something to them, and they reached up to take the hood off their head.

Tommy's eyes widened when he realized who it was.

' _Karone.'_

Everyone else seemed to catch on to who she was, as well, because suddenly there were loud gasps and shouts everywhere. The Eltarian Council rose to their feet, rapidly firing off questions in their native tongue. All around Tommy, the courtroom was in chaos with emotions ranging from confusion to alarm at the sight of the young woman.

Andros reached out a hand to his sister when she reached him, curling his fingers around hers. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and Tommy could see her immediately start to relax.

The red space ranger raised his free hand in the air to get everyone's attention. The room eventually quieted down.

The Eltarians stared at the KOans in shock. "K-Karone?! I-is this some sort of trick?"

"It is no trick, Elder Kilari." She pulled down the top of her robe to reveal a mark on her collarbone. "It's me."

Tommy flinched at the uproar that ensued, including a few cries of "murderer" and "Astronema".

"SILENCE!" Kilari yelled.

A tense hush fell over the room at once.

"How are you alive, Karone?" he asked in wonder. "We were told you were killed in battle years ago by General Scorpina."

"Scorpina wouldn't hurt me," the blonde said defensively. "She _cared_ about me… she saved my life."

Tommy saw her squeeze Andros' hand tightly, and the space ranger gave a supportive nod.

"When Goldgoyle attacked my people, Zedd gave me the power to fight back by becoming Astronema. In exchange for that power, I had to give up my compassion." She frowned, eyes shining with tears. "He said it was the only way to e-ensure I could do what was needed to truly protect my people." She swallowed thickly. "The spell he cast on me made me lose my mind, to the point where I couldn't tell what was real anymore." Her voice hitched. "If I had known what I'd become, what it would do to me… I would never have – I didn't – "

Zhane squeezed her shoulder as she wiped away her tears. Tommy saw her reach up and cup his larger hand with her own.

"When I confronted Scorpina about Karone, she told me the truth," Andros continued for his sister. "Scorpina was afraid what would happen to her if Zedd found out she was mentally unstable, so she faked my sister's death. Karone's been in the psychiatric ward ever since."

Zhane opened the metal box he'd been holding to reveal several files. He walked over to The Council and handed it to them.

"What's this?" Gali asked, taking the case from the silver ranger.

"Documentation verifying Karone's time at the psychiatric ward, including her evaluations and a record of all of her visitors," the red space ranger explained as the Eltarians passed the documents around. "There are signed reports detailing the extent of the damage to her mind, including the most recent report of Karone's miraculous recovery around the same time Zedd was destroyed.

"You will also find in the visitor logs an entry from one 'Carlos Norris', Tommy's civilian alias. He visited Karone following our first conversation on KO-35, I can only assume to confirm the similarities between his deteriorating mental state and hers."

Tommy watched as the councilmembers traded harsh whispers as they reviewed the documents. A few of them, including Kilari, were motioning between him and Karone. From their body language, though, it seemed as though Gali and Kilari were having a fierce disagreement. It only ended when another councilmember intervened, whispering something that seemed to calm them both down.

"Karone," Kilari addressed her. "I am going to ask you two questions, and I want you to answer them honestly."

She nodded, fingers intertwined with her brother's.

"What do you remember about your visit with the green ranger?"

Karone turned to look at Tommy. "He was the only person who didn't think I was crazy," she said softly. "I knew he believed me, because he had the same scars."

"Scars?"

"From Zedd's spell," she explained. "It leaves a mark where he ripped away that piece of you." She stared at Tommy for a while before a soft smile appeared on her lips. "His mark is gone now."

"I see." Kilari scribbled something down on the sheet in front of him. "And for my last question… how much control did you have over your actions while under Lord Zedd's spell?"

"The best way I can describe it is like being a child." Karone furrowed her brow. "The choices you make are yours, but it's not easy to always understand the difference between right and wrong." She bit her lip. "I chose to do the horrible things that I did, but they didn't _seem_ horrible because I couldn't feel sympathy." She hugged herself tightly. "At least until now… if I'd been able to tell the difference, I-I would have never…"

Her breath hitched slightly, and Zhane gave her should a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you." Kilari nodded, scribbling down more notes. "Andros, is there anything else you would like to include in your account?"

"No, Elder Kilari."

"Then you may return to your seats." He gave the blonde woman a poignant look. "Karone… the crimes you committed as Astronema have not been forgotten. When this trial is over, we will need to discuss the matter of your return."

She nodded, eyes downcast. "I understand."

Andros, Zhane, and Karone headed for the audience. Zhane wrapped an arm around Karone's shoulders protectively, as if to shield her from questioning eyes.

The former green ranger stared at Andros in awe. The fact that he was willing to bring his sister out of hiding and expose her just to save _his_ life was hard to wrap his head around.

' _Andros… I didn't think you… Karone…'_

A ghost of a smile crossed the younger man's lips. _'You can thank me later if this works.'_

"This concludes the witness accounts," Kilari said softly. "We will take everything presented today into consideration as we deliberate. The trial will reconvene when we've made our decision."

Kilari stood up then, and the rest of The Council followed suit. They headed out of the room in a single file line through a doorway that led to their chambers.

"Come on," Klonis said gruffly, grabbing hold of Tommy's arm. "You must return to your cell."

"Wait, can I just – " The teen stumbled as Klonis shoved him forward, causing him to trip over his feet.

He only managed to get a fleeting glimpse of the Earth and Space ranger teams before he was shoved out of the courtroom. "Dammit!"

Tommy continued to fight all the way back to his cell, trying in vain to break free of Klonis' iron grip. The Eltarian guard wore a bored expression, barely breaking a sweat as he dragged Tommy down the hall. He tossed the teen into his cell and locked the door, keys tucked into the pocket of his robe.

"I just wanted a minute!" Tommy snarled.

"And you'll get it when The Council has made their verdict," Klonis explained slowly as if he were stupid. "But until then, sit down and be quiet."

Tommy slammed his hands against the bars in frustration, but Klonis paid him no mind.

He paced up and down the length of the cell with his hands on hips. What had he even planned to say if he'd been able to talk to them?

What _could_ he say?

He leaned against the wall and slid down, arms wrapping around his knees as he recounted the events of his trial.

Everyone's testimony had gone about as he expected, save for Zack and Andros. He didn't think Zack would admit that he saved his life, and Andros…. He hadn't thought for one second that Andros would retrieve his sister in _his_ defense.

And Karone? Her appearance had blindsided everyone, and now he understood why Andros brought her. Karone was living proof of what Zedd's power could do, and it gave credibility to the same thing happening to Tommy. Gali, of course, was unmoved by her testimony, but the others, like Kilari… they seemed willing to give it more consideration.

The thought gave him something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Hope.

' _Maybe…'_

A knock at the door broke his train of thought, and he watched Klonis get up to answer it. The guard exchanged words with whoever was on the other side before closing the door again.

"What? What is it?" Tommy asked.

"It's time to go." Klonis unlocked the cell door. "The verdict is in."

The former green ranger's stomach suddenly felt heavy with dread.

It hadn't even been ten minutes.

* * *

 **Main Courtroom**

 **Eltar Capital Building**

 **Capital City**

 **Local time, Unknown**

Tommy stood before The Council with his head down, eyes trained on the floor. Klonis stood beside him with a hand around his upper arm.

"After reviewing all of the evidence and the personal accounts, The Council has come to a decision," Kilari said.

The former green ranger swallowed the lump in his throat and squared his shoulders, lifting his head to meet The Council's gaze.

He wasn't stupid.

He knew what was coming.

"In the case of Thomas Oliver, we have found him guilty of all charges, and we request his execution be held immediately."

Tommy felt his knees buckle as the words washed over him. Klonis' hold on his arm mercifully kept him from falling. The murmurs and cheers he heard sounded faint, drowned out by the sound of his heartbeat in his ears.

' _It's what I deserve,'_ he reminded himself as his eyes burned with unshed tears.

"As Head Elder, I approve this request," Gali said, expression smug. Kilari sat beside him, appearing disappointed but resigned.

Gali lifted his hand. "This trial is now – "

"Wait!"

Tommy turned in surprise to see the Time Force pink ranger standing in the crowd.

"What is the meaning of this?" a councilmember exclaimed. "Interruptions are not allowed in the courtroom."

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this…" she said grimly. "…but you leave me no choice."

Tommy raised an eyebrow as he watched Jen exchange hushed whispers with the rest of her teammates. The Time Force yellow ranger squeezed Jen's shoulder and gave a nod. Jen gave a tight smile before heading out of the stands and down the large stone steps.

' _What the fuck is going on?'_ he wondered. _'Andros I get, but Jen? She doesn't even like me on a good day. Why the hell would she step in to keep me alive?'_

The former green ranger tried to get her to look at him to understand what the hell was going on, but she refused to make eye contact.

"Forgive me, councilmembers." She bowed before them in respect. "It is clear from today's proceedings that this man has done terrible things..." She glanced in his direction. "… _horrible_ things deserving of death." She turned back to The Council. "But I can't allow you to kill him."

" _Allow_ us?" Gali hissed. "Who are you, child?"

Jen raised her hand in salute. "Jennifer Scotts, Time Force officer and Time Force pink ranger."

"Time Force?" Kilari narrowed his eyes. "Why are you in this era?"

"To save his life."

Tommy blinked. "Wait… you're here to save _me_?"

"Silence, boy!" Gali snapped, eyes flashing angrily. Jen also glared in his direction, as if silently willing him to shut the hell up.

"You know the rules, pink ranger. You are forbidden from tampering with time," Kilari reprimanded.

Jen winced. "Yes, I understand, but Commander Drake sent us to monitor the – "

"Do you have _any_ idea the damage you may have done by being here?" another Eltarian continued angrily. "Countless aberrations could have been introduced into the time stream since your arrival."

"I know," she admitted. "But given the alternative, it's worth it."

"Somehow I doubt _anything_ is worth saving his life," Gali said in disgust.

"Even the future?"

The Eltarians quieted at that.

"Circuit," Jen called out. "Come here, please."

A large, mechanical blue owl flew over to the Time Force ranger and landed at her feet. Tommy thought it looked creepy and discreetly moved away from it.

"Show them," she said softly.

The owl blinked. "Right away, Jen."

Light shot out from the robot's eyes, and a large hologram appeared in the room. Tommy's eyes widened at the sight of a man in a modified green ranger outfit. For the most part, the suit was the same, except it was black where Tommy's uniform was green and black where his was white.

"This… is The Green Dragon." Tommy saw the tightness in Jen's jaw. "In the future, Time Force is the last of the resistance preventing him from total control of the entire universe. He has destroyed entire solar systems in his quest for power, including the ones containing colonies of the Eltarian Empire."

"That proves it," an Eltarian said. "Obviously, he takes up the mantle of the green ranger again to cause more destruction."

"Except The Green Dragon _isn't_ Tommy," the Time Force blue ranger spoke up, making his way down the stairs to join Jen at the center of the room. "We only recently learned his true identity, and we used that information to help us figure out how to stop him."

"And?"

"We tracked him throughout time, and it led us here..." Jen turned to the former green ranger. "He's your son, Tommy."

Brown eyes fluttered in shock. "W-What?"

"His _son_?!" Gali asked. "Our records show he currently has no offspring… if this man _is_ his son, killing him now should prevent his birth. " He turned to the shackled teen. "Unless there is something you would like to share with The Council, Oliver?"

Tommy ignored the Eltarian, instead turning around to find Kimberly in the stands. Her skin was now deathly pale, and she looked as if she might throw up. Ryan sat beside her in Zack's lap, eyes crinkled in amusement as he sucked on his fist.

"Oliver?"

The former green ranger could feel the weight of numerous stares around him, but he couldn't bring himself to look away. He frowned when he saw fear on Kim's face, and he realized that the stares weren't directed at him anymore – they were directed at their son.

"…What is the child's name?" Kilari asked softly.

"Ryan Hart." Jen shot an apologetic glance in Kim's direction. "Legally, he is the son of Jason Scott and Kimberly Hart, but from our time here and upon meeting the green ranger, we learned the truth of his paternity."

"And you're certain he is this man's son?"

Jen nodded. "Positive." She turned to Circuit. "Show The Green Dragon in his civilian form."

"Right away, Jen."

Tommy swallowed thickly when the image of the person in the green ranger costume was replaced with that of an older man in his early thirties in all-black with long brown hair wearing a tattered pink scarf. His eyes and hair were the same shade of brown as Kimberly's, but the rest of him was Tommy in every way.

He suddenly recalled the battle in San Francisco when the Time Force yellow ranger saw his face for the first time. She'd clearly known his identity, but she'd been alarmed when he'd taken his helmet off.

Now he understood her reaction. She probably thought like everyone else that Jason was Ryan's father. It was no wonder she'd been so surprised when she caught sight of Tommy's face – Ryan was nearly a spitting image of him.

"In the year 3000, The Green Dragon is by far the worst threat the universe has ever known," Jen began. "By the time our team is around to fight him, it's already too late. The Dragon's empire is too powerful for us to try and overthrow. Every other ranger team before us has been killed by his army with hardly any effort. We were sent here as a last ditch effort to make things right."

Tommy blinked as he tried to process what they were saying. His son… this was his son…

' _Oh, Ryan… what happened to you?'_

"This man is so powerful that you are willing to risk your very own existence by changing the course of history?" Gali asked.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "When we joined Time Force, we swore an oath to protect and serve, even at the cost of our lives. We're willing to take that risk if it means the universe will be safe."

The room grew quiet as a series of horrifying images and videos from the future were displayed.

" _How_ … how is he so powerful?" one of the councilmembers asked in wonder.

"And more importantly, how is he even alive to cause such destruction?" Kilari asked. "If this child truly does grow up to become this Green Dragon, how is he able to prolong his lifespan for so long? Earthlings rarely live to be more than a century old."

"Oh, I can answer that!"

Tommy watched a green-haired man rush down the stairs to the center of the room, Billy hot on his heels. The stone on his forehead informed Tommy that the green-haired man was Xybrian.

"I'm Trip, Time Force green ranger," he said, flashing his morpher to the room. "We had the same questions as you, especially when we learned he was actually human. Now that we know who his father really is, I think we finally have the answer." He turned to the mechanical owl. "Circuit, can you show the results of test 197G2-A?"

Several beeps emitted from the owl before two reports were displayed.

"Here we have an analysis of the DNA samples of Tommy Oliver and Ryan Hart." He glanced at the infant in the audience. "Well, baby Ryan Hart – not the Ryan that's evil and does all those terrible – "

Gali growled. "Get on with your explanation."

Trip gave lopsided smile. "Right. Billy?"

The blue ranger cleared his throat. "Our power coins serve as an access point to the morphing grid, and our morphers allow us to channel that energy at any given time from the grid to wherever we are in a safe, controllable manner." He pointed at Tommy. "When Rita made him her green ranger, she had the power coin but no morpher, not an authentic one anyway… that can only come from a Morphing Master."

"So how did she do it?" a councilwoman asked.

"Circuit, can you pull up the images from Tommy's test?"

The owl beeped for a few seconds before displaying a hologram of a DNA sample labeled OLIVER, T. Tommy was startled by what he saw there. The double helix was surrounded by green energy that raced along it like electricity.

"From what we can gather, Rita bypassed the morpher completely and gave him direct access to the grid by forcing a connection to his body using her magic," Billy said. "His _body_ was the conduit for his powers – that's what these flashes of green are in his DNA."

Trip nodded. "And _that's_ why his powers could manifest themselves in ways that other rangers could only dream of."

The former green ranger didn't understand everything Billy and Trip were saying, but he got the general gist of it. It certainly explained a lot about the way his powers worked and why he was so much stronger than the power rangers… why he could do things like conjure energy in his bare hands and heal himself at will.

He'd had direct access to the morphing grid's power and didn't even realize it.

"As a result of this connection to the grid, any children conceived during Tommy's time as the green ranger had an increased chance of inheriting this same ability." Billy turned to the other large DNA strand that seemed to be glowing green. "This is an image of Ryan's DNA. You can see the same green energy here, but there is one major difference. Unlike his father, Ryan's DNA isn't surrounded by green energy – it's fused with his cells." The blond pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "This fusion means that Ryan isn't just connected to the morphing grid… he's quite literally _part_ of it."

The councilmembers looked at each other in concern. "How is that even possible?"

"Truthfully, I'm not sure," the blue ranger said. "This is unchartered territory for everyone. Without further research, I'm afraid this will remain a mystery."

"The one thing that _isn't_ a mystery," Jen interrupted, "is how bad this is. The morphing grid exists at every point in time and space, and because he's a part of it, The Green Dragon can use it however he pleases." She ran a hand through her hair. "The reason he's alive in our time isn't because he's lived that long – it's because he's figured out how to manipulate the grid so that he can move through time and space at will. As long as he can do that, _no one_ is safe from him."

"Once we realized he could do this, it was clear fighting him using normal methods wouldn't work, so we had to change tactics," the Time Force blue ranger said. "Everyone, good or bad, has a reason behind their actions. We thought if we understood his, it could help us figure out a way to defeat him."

"Learning his true identity was the first step and how we discovered he wasn't from our era," Jen said. "But we had to learn more – and that became our mission. Traveling through time to understand who he was and how he came to be The Green Dragon."

A photo appeared of a young Ryan Hart, who bore a striking resemblance to his father. "This is Ryan at age fifteen on Eltar – seven years before his rise to power as The Green Dragon. At this point in time, Ryan is an orphan and based on what we observed, was treated like a pariah for most of his life. His mother has been dead for two weeks, having recently taken her own life from severe depression at the way she and her son were treated since the fallout from the war. His father of record, whom he has a publicly tumultuous relationship with, has been out of the picture for nearly a decade."

Tommy looked over at the pink and red Earth rangers and was unsurprised by what he saw. Kimberly now held Ryan in her lap and was cradling the babbling infant to her chest with watery eyes. Jason's gaze was on the floor, and from the red flush of his skin, the former green ranger surmised that he was ashamed to learn he'd abandoned Kim and the baby after all was said and done.

"As Kimberly's next of kin, all of her possessions were given to her son upon her death. We believe one of the items she left for her son either reveals or strongly hints at the truth about the identity of his biological father."

The green ranger's eyes widened. _'Shit.'_

The video he made for Kimberly… the pictures they took when he visited KO-35… all it would take is for Ryan to see Tommy's face just _once_ to be suspicious about who the man was that looked so much like him.

"Whatever he discovered prompted Ryan to break into the restricted section of The Eltarian Archives."

Tommy noticed the worried looks on the councilmembers' faces. His gaze shifted to Gali, whose face was a mask of cool indifference save for the anxiety in his pale eyes.

"He was brought in for questioning after he was caught, but the report didn't give any information as to why he was there. Given that a sealed account of this trial was contained there, we suspect we already know the truth." Jen frowned. "After this, the Watchers assigned to Ryan noted a considerable shift in his attitude. Their reports indicate that Ryan became withdrawn and secretive."

"Watchers?" Tommy asked.

"Eltarian guards tasked with monitoring specific individuals who are of high interest to The Council," she explained.

"They were scared he might become me," Tommy realized.

"Yes," the Time Force pink ranger agreed. "But apparently, the Watchers didn't do a thorough job." An image of an older Finster was displayed next. Some of his body was replaced with robotic parts, and his left eye was gone. "At some point, Ryan came into contact with the Clayoidian monster-maker, Finster, one of the few remaining prisoners from the Dark Empire who knew and respected Tommy during his time as the green ranger. We have reason to believe that it was Finster who revealed to Ryan his connection to the morphing grid and the power he could wield, which was the motivation for his next move."

The image changed, now to an older Ryan wearing a gray and black uniform. He was standing in the midst of a group of people around the same age, all wearing the same uniform.

"Ryan joined The Eltarian Academy around the age of nineteen. Records indicate that he was a standout student, excelling in all areas with exceptionally high marks in hand-to-hand combat, weapons mastery, and strategic command. His performance at The Academy brought him under the direct tutelage of Ninjor, who worked to deepen Ryan's understanding of his connection to the grid and ensure he remained an ally to the forces of Good."

The image changed again to another picture of Ryan, now wearing what looked like an all-black bodysuit and a less tattered version of the same pink scarf around his neck. He looked to be in his early twenties.

"This is the first known image of The Green Dragon."

Ryan's eyes glowed white, and in one hand was Tommy's falchion sword while the other held a ball of swirling white and green energy.

"Shortly after completing his studies with Ninjor, Ryan led an army of Finster's creatures to storm The Eltarian Council." Jen looked down. "He murdered every councilmember within hours and stole this weapon from the underground cache. Ninjor was found decapitated a few days later."

All eyes turned to the infant then. Tommy's heart clenched when he saw his son lean forward to try and take the charms on Kimberly's bracelet into his mouth. He kicked happily when he got one, squirming in his mother's lap.

Brown eyes trailed back to the hologram of The Green Dragon with a heavy heart.

All that time and effort to save his son's life, only to learn Ryan would grow up to be worse than he ever was.

The shackled teen ran his hands over his face in anguish. _'I can't fucking do anything right.'_

Elder Kilari looked between the infant and Tommy several times before turning his attention to Jen.

"You're certain that this is the way to stop him?" he asked.

"No… but it's our best shot."

"Why not just stop him from learning the truth?" Gali questioned. "If that's truly the catalyst for him becoming this… Green Dragon, wouldn't that be the solution?"

"We've tried," Wes, the Time Force red ranger, said from his place in the stands. "Over and over again, we've tried to prevent this, but it always ends up the same. All that changes is _when_ he learns the truth, not the outcome of gaining that knowledge." Wes sighed. "We've come to realize that we can't prevent him from learning the truth of what happened, but we may be able to _change_ that truth."

Tommy could see Gali shake with rage at what Wes was implying. Changing what happened today meant Ryan wouldn't be an orphan or bitter about what happened to his parents.

It wasn't that farfetched of an idea, but getting the Eltarians to accept it was a whole other matter entirely.

"And you want us to just agree to this?" Gali sneered. "With no reassurance that it will actually make a difference?"

"For the love of – it's not rocket science, okay?" the Time Force yellow ranger snarled, rising to her feet. "As far as he's concerned, you killed his father for selfish reasons, and you drove his mother to suicide! He's hurt and angry, and he just wants to punish the world for making him feel that way!" Katie sighed. "Is it any different than what you're doing now trying to ease your pain over your son's death by sending Tommy to his?"

Wes placed a hand on Katie's shoulder and squeezed, reeling her back in from her outburst.

"What Katie's _trying_ to say is, no one believes he doesn't deserve to pay for what he's done, but this is bigger than your personal feelings," Jen said softly. "Your responsibility is to protect the universe – please remember that."

Gali rose to his feet. "And if we disagree?" he challenged.

Jen looked at her teammates before taking a deep breath. "Our mission remains the same. We will save the future… whatever the cost."

The threat was made clear when she lifted her wrist, revealing her morpher. The other Time Force rangers did the same, and Tommy saw Gali's eyes widen. Blue energy cackled at the Eltarian's fingertips, pulling gasps from the crowd. Kimberly and Jason rose to their feet in alarm, and Andros rushed forward from the crowd to stand beside the Time Force rangers.

"Stand down, now, pink ranger," Gali hissed.

"After you."

Tommy swallowed thickly. _'Were they really going to – ?'_

"I do not wish to hurt you, but I will if you persist," Gali replied, eyes now bright white as he channeled his energy. "Stand. Down."

"We're not letting you kill him, Gali!" Jen snapped. "Time for… Time Fo – "

Tommy pressed his fingers to his temple as anxiety washed over him. _'Please, stop… I can't be responsible for anyone else dying. Please!'_

"Ay yi yi, is this all really necessary?"

The question appeared to catch everyone off guard, immediately breaking the tense moment.

Alpha 5 waddled out of the stands to the center of the room, positioning himself between The Council and the rangers.

"Zordon would be ashamed of all of you right now," he said sadly. "Violence should never be used as a way to solve differences between allies."

"We're right there with you, Alpha, but his father isn't giving us much to work with here," Andros growled, fingers grazing his morpher in preparation.

Alpha 5 raised a hand. "If you all would just give me a moment to explain… I may have a solution we can all be happy with."

Tommy watched as the Time Force rangers and Gali continued staring each other down. It was only when Gali's energy began to ebb that the Time Force rangers and Andros shifted out of their morphing stances.

The former green ranger sighed in relief. _'Thank God.'_

Jen turned to Alpha with a hand on her hip. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

* * *

 **Operations Room**

 **Astro Megaship**

 **Capital City**

 **One Hour Later, Local time, Unknown**

"You have _got_ to be kidding me."

Tommy angrily pulled on the black tank top that Andros handed him. He grabbed the pair of gray athletic pants next, yanking them up his long legs.

"Stop complaining and put the shoes on."

The former green ranger shot the KOan a death glare before slipping on the running shoes.

"Un-fucking-believable," he muttered under his breath. The Eltarian guards standing nearby gave him cross looks.

"Would you rather be beheaded?" Andros snapped.

"As far as I'm concerned, the only difference between that and this 'Quest to Nowhere' is how quickly I die." He finished lacing up his sneakers. "Forgive me if I'd rather it be over and done with than possibly dying of starvation in a desert on a planet I've never been to!"

He sighed at the pointed look Andros gave him. "Sorry, I'm just nervous, all right? It's all just happening so fast."

Truthfully, Tommy was still trying to figure out how he ended up in his current predicament.

As it turned out, Alpha 5 _had_ actually managed to come up with a solution that everyone could live with.

Well, everyone but _Tommy_ , though the former green ranger guessed his feelings on the matter were irrelevant.

After his interruption, Alpha 5, the Time Force rangers, The Eltarian Council, and Andros all left the courtroom to have a discussion. Just as Tommy had reached his breaking point of being gawked and pointed at by onlookers, the group returned to the courtroom, expressions not exactly happy but not upset either.

" _We have reached an agreement," Kilari said, causing the room to go quiet. "It is clear that all parties have a personal stake in the outcome of this trial, too personal to be unbiased. We have decided that a third-party is needed to give judgment on his fate – one we can all trust will make the right decision."_

" _And that would be?" Jason asked._

" _Ninjor."_

 _Tommy narrowed his eyes._ 'Ninjor... didn't the Time Force rangers say something about a Ninjor and Ryan or something? What the hell is going on?'

 _Around him, Tommy could hear those in the crowd voicing their agreement with this decision, though from the looks on some of their faces, it was grudging agreement at best._

 _Andros walked over to Tommy and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to Klonis. "Release him. He needs to prepare."_

 _The captive teen watched in surprise as the Eltarian unlocked his shackles._

" _Come on," the space ranger said as he quickly led the way out of the courtroom._

" _Where are we going? And prepare for what?" Tommy rubbed his wrists gingerly as he followed behind the KOan, six Eltarian guards hot on their heels. "And what the hell's a Ninjor?"_

 _Andros looked back at him. "Zedd didn't tell you about him?"_

 _The former green ranger shook his head. "Most of my studies focused on the Dark Empire, combat, and strategy. He rarely taught anything outside of that… except how to deal with the Eltarians."_

 _The space ranger nodded. "I see." He turned a corner, leading them down a well-lit hallway. "Ninjor is a master warrior and the protector of the Temple of Power. He is the creator of the power coins."_

 _Tommy blinked. "And they want_ him _…to judge me?" He furrowed his brow. "How exactly is this better than letting Gali have his way?"_

" _Ninjor's sole mission is to protect the purity of the power that the rangers use to defend the universe. Because of this, he has the gift to see a person's true character… to determine their worth in wielding that power."_

 _Tommy nodded in understanding. "And they want him to use this gift to see my true character and decide if I should live or die. Got it."_

" _Only if you get that far." By now, they were outside with the Astro Megaship a few yards away. "You have to actually_ make _it to Ninjor first – that's the hard part."_

 _The former green ranger cocked his head to the side as he ascended the boarding ramp of the ship, a guard on either side of him. "I'm sorry… what?"_

 _Andros sighed and turned around. "You're going on a quest to find Ninjor and the Temple of Power. You'll be teleported to a nearby planet, Phaedos, to an area named the Desert of Despair – that's where your quest will begin. If you survive the desert and make it to the temple, Ninjor will decide your fate. If you die before getting to the temple… well, I think that's self-explanatory." He paused. "Any questions?"_

" _Uh… yeah, lots," Tommy said dryly._

" _We can discuss more inside. Right now, we need to get you ready."_

Loud thuds broke him from his reverie. "Here."

Tommy looked at the objects Andros placed on the table in front of him. There was a long sword, a pair of sais, nunchaku, a bo staff, and a power blaster.

"You get one weapon during your quest for protection."

"Protection from what?"

Andros simply looked at him. "Choose wisely."

"Dammit," Tommy murmured before grabbing the bo staff. He tested its weight, twirling it a few times around his body. "Whatever, this'll do."

Andros picked up a brown bag off the floor and handed it to Tommy. "There are supplies in here to keep you alive – food and water, mostly."

Tommy peered inside the messenger bag and quickly searched its contents, most of which were snacks or bottles of water. Something white stuck out from one of its inner pockets, and he pulled it out. His heart swelled when he realized what it was.

An image of Kimberly, Ryan, and him from his brief time on KO-35.

"Something to remind you of what's at stake," the space ranger said gently. "With your guilt back, you need to remember there's a reason not to give up on yourself."

"Thanks," Tommy whispered as he tucked the photo back into the pocket.

Andros gave a curt nod. "Gather your things. It's time to leave."

" _Fuck_ …" The former green ranger slipped on the messenger bag and grabbed the bo staff. He followed Andros off the Astro Megaship and back into the main building, the guards only a few steps behind.

Andros remained quiet as he led them back into the courtroom. The guards ushered Tommy into the center of the room where he stood facing The Eltarian Council.

Kilari snapped his fingers, and a large, worn piece of parchment appeared at Tommy's feet. The teen bent down and picked it up, unfolding it with a raised brow.

It was a map.

"Use this on your quest to find the Temple of Power. The Desert of Despair is quite vast, and without this map, you will likely not survive."

Gali sneered. "You're welcome to try your luck without it."

The former green ranger tucked the map into his bag. "Thanks."

Kilari reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll. "Give this to Ninjor if you find him. He will understand upon reading it."

Tommy nodded, tucking the scroll into his bag.

"Are you ready?"

' _No,'_ he thought immediately, but outwardly, he only gave a short nod.

The councilmembers closed their eyes and began chanting something in a language Tommy didn't recognize. Wisps of blue energy appeared at his feet, steadily growing as it moved up his body.

As he began to disappear, Tommy searched for Kimberly in the crowd. He spotted her across the room with Ryan cradled against her chest. Her expression was anxious, and he sent her a reassuring smile in hopes to ease her fears.

He saw a flash of a smile on her face… and then he was gone.

* * *

 **Desert of Despair**

 **Phaedos**

 **Two Days Later: Local time, Unknown**

"AAGHHH!"

Tommy gripped his side as he scrambled behind a large boulder, sweat pouring down his face.

"Two down, one to go," he whispered.

The boulder suddenly moved from behind him, and he looked back to see the angry scowl of the beast that'd been pursuing him.

"Shit!"

Thinking quickly, Tommy did a low sweep of its legs, causing it to fall back. The boulder fell on top of it, pinning it to the ground. The former green ranger grabbed his bo staff and limped over to the rock monster.

"I don't know what you are or what your deal is, but I'm _beyond_ tired of your shit," he huffed. He used the bo staff to beat the creature to death, stopping once its skull was fully caved in.

Exhaling slowly, Tommy continued making his way through the jungle. He was sweaty, tired, and pissed off beyond belief.

' _This quest sucks ass,'_ he thought irritably as he leaned against his bo staff.

He yelped when he felt his body sink into the ground, and his eyes widened when he realized he'd unknowingly walked right into a pit of quicksand. He was down passed his ankles now and falling fast.

"Son of a – "

He searched for something to grab onto and spotted a thick vine overhead. Tommy tossed his staff into some nearby bushes and reached for the vine, using all of his strength to pull himself out. Once free, he swung back and forth, gaining momentum until he was able to jump clear of the pit.

He landed on the ground hard and rolled onto his back. Eyes closed, Tommy took several deep breaths as his heart rate slowed down. The feeling of something tickling his foot made him open his eyes, revealing a large bug forging a path across his sock.

He'd lost his right shoe in the quicksand.

His head dropped back to the ground. "I fucking _HATE_ this place!" he yelled.

The quest had been a shitshow from the very beginning. He'd landed in the Desert of Despair, which as he learned, was a very fitting name for the place. The heat had been damn near unbearable, and the piercing wails that rang out had made his skin crawl. He'd traveled for what felt like days in the dry heat, looking for the large rock formations shown on the map to no avail.

Tommy had stopped to take a piss from all the water he'd been drinking, and then things _really_ went sideways.

Rain suddenly started pouring from the sky at an alarming rate, soaking him to the bone within seconds. Sand and water flew at his face from the high-speed winds, temporarily blinding him.

He ran in the direction of the nearest shelter – a cave tucked behind some boulders. Running in blindly proved to be a mistake on his part, because the next thing he knew, he'd fallen down some sort of hole and rolled headfirst to parts unknown.

Scraped, bruised, and covered in dirt, Tommy climbed to his feet and dusted himself off once he finally came to a stop. He took in the area around him, shocked to discover he was in some sort of jungle beneath the desert that looked much closer to what he remembered of the map than the actual Desert of Despair. He pulled out the map to compare, only to become disheartened to learn that the combination of dirt and rain had caused the parchment to deteriorate. Panic ran through him as pieces began to tear off and land on the ground, leaving only about one-third of the map intact.

Knowing that the odds were now stacked even higher against him, he almost gave up then and there, sorely tempted to accept the death he knew he deserved. The memory of Kim and his son, however, gave him the boost he needed to stay positive and keep moving forward.

 _He_ didn't matter, but they did.

He needed to do this for them.

His trek through the jungle had been treacherous. Tommy originally thought his biggest concern would be the alien creatures that lived in the wild, of which there was no shortage; but after nearly being eaten by a living fossil, chased by rock monsters, and now almost dying in quicksand, it was clear he'd severely underestimated the danger he'd encounter.

The former green ranger took a deep breath before climbing to his feet once more. He used his bo staff as a walking stick and headed further into the jungle. He pulled the map from his pocket and studied it, comparing it to what was around him to see if anything matched.

He frowned when he reached an open stretch of land, still walking forward. "The hell? This can't be right." He rotated the map around. "The temple should be right – "

He blinked when he was suddenly standing in front of the gates of a large marble building. He turned around, no longer seeing the jungle behind him.

" – here."

He scratched his head. _'How the fuck did that happen?'_

He picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it in the direction he just came from. The rock disappeared, confirming his suspicion.

' _Portal, huh? Real nice.'_

He turned back around to face the marble building. A large N was emblazoned on the bars, and a misty fog seeped out from the cracks. Tommy stepped forward and tapped on the N, jumping back in alarm when the gates opened on their own.

He followed the path into the building, which led him to a dark room littered with candles. A gong sat off to the side, and the walls were covered with a variety of weapons.

"Erm… hello?" Tommy looked around for any signs of life. "Anybody home?"

"Who goes there?" a voice called out. "Why are you here?"

The former green ranger frowned. "I need to talk to Ninjor. Where is he?"

"What business do you have with Ninjor? We don't like uninvited guests!"

"I was sent here to – " He blinked when a being in blue armor materialized in front of him. "Whoa… are you Ninjor?"

"Yes," he answered, and it was then Tommy realized he'd been talking to Ninjor all along. "You were sent by whom and why? Hurry up, you have five seconds."

"The Eltarian Council and to get your judgment. I was put on a trial and there was some disagreement about my sentence, so they – "

Ninjor waved a hand dismissively. "Pass. You can see yourself out."

Tommy scowled. "Please, if you would just – "

"The Council knows better than to bother me with such tedious business," Ninjor interrupted. "State the reason you're really here."

"Excuse me?"

Ninjor turned to him. "I know who you are, Tommy Oliver, and I know the things you've done as a servant of Lord Zedd."

' _So much for an unbiased third party.'_ The former green ranger clenched his jaw. "Then you know that I killed him."

"You killed _Zordon_ ," Ninjor corrected. "Zordon's power is what killed Lord Zedd."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Whatever… look, will you help me or not?" He reached into his bag and handed the warrior the scroll he received from Elder Kilari. Ninjor scanned its contents.

"Not," he answered.

Tommy watched in shock as a ball of fire materialized in Ninjor's hand, and he proceeded to set the scroll on fire.

"You've already used the power once and didn't have the sense to wield it responsibly. I would never willingly give it to you after all you've done."

"Power?" Tommy laughed. "Dude, you've got it _so_ wrong."

Ninjor cocked his head to the side. "Dude?"

"Look, I didn't come here for any stupid powers, all right? In fact, being a ranger again is literally the _furthest_ thing from my mind. All I want is to get this stupid quest over with and hopefully stop from screwing up my family's future… " He reached into his bag and pulled out the photo. "You're the only way I can do that."

A long stretch of silence passed as Ninjor stared at the picture in his hand before taking it. He stared at the photo intently.

"I'm telling the truth!" Tommy growled.

"I know," Ninjor said, turning his back to the teen. "That's what puzzles me."

Tommy watched as he headed further into the temple. Ninjor stopped in his tracks when he was several yards away and turned his head. "Well… are you coming?"

The former green ranger limped over to him, following behind a few feet. They wandered the dimly lit halls for nearly ten minutes before coming to a room with a bed. Ninjor waved his hand, lighting the candles that were spread across the room.

"You'll rest here for the evening," Ninjor said.

Tommy walked into the room and set his bag on the floor. He leaned the bo staff against the wall.

"We'll begin tomorrow."

The teen furrowed his brow. "Begin what?" he asked, fingers tracing the words etched into the walls.

Hearing no reply, he turned to ask again, only to realize that Ninjor was already gone.

' _I hope he doesn't do that a lot, or that's gonna get old really fast,'_ he thought wryly.

He yawned then, now finally able to feel the events of the day catching up to him. He wanted to take a hot shower and wash off the dirt and sweat from the day, but he couldn't muster up the energy. Tommy peeled off his clothes until he was only in his boxers and fell on the bed.

He was out within seconds.

* * *

 **Training Room**

 **The Temple of Power**

 **Phaedos**

 **Three Days Later: Local time, Unknown**

Tommy scanned the room slowly, searching for any sign of the creature that was hunting him. He caught a wisp of smoke to his right.

' _Gotcha.'_

The creature shot out at him, running full speed across the room. Tommy held his stance until the creature was nearly on him before turning and slamming his bo staff against the side of its face. The spirit howled in anger, teeth bared as it snarled.

Tommy ducked the vicious swipe at his head and landed an uppercut against its chin, sending it to its back. He did a front flip and landed so he was straddling the creature. With a loud cry, he shoved the staff into its heart, holding it there until the spirit burst into tiny rays of light.

"Impressive."

Tommy looked up to see Ninjor watching him from the upper deck. He stood and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Thanks."

"Most aren't able to make it through the final trial."

The teen shrugged. "Guess I'm just lucky or something."

"Or something," Ninjor murmured as he made his way down the staircase. "Tell me, Tommy… why don't you seek the Great Power? You know what it allows you to do. Don't you miss that?"

"Not enough to want it back." Tommy frowned and leaned against his staff. "Not a lot of good came from having that kind of power… at least not from me." He sighed. "Having it again would just be another reminder of all the pain I caused as the green ranger. I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror… I don't think I can take any more."

"I see." Ninjor stood in front of him, hand clasped around the handle of his sword. "Then I believe I've come to a decision."

The teen straightened up, nervously eyeing the grip Ninjor had on his katana. "Y-You have?"

"Yes. Close your eyes."

Tommy did as instructed, brow furrowing when he heard Ninjor unsheathe his blade.

' _Oh God… he's going to kill me… he's going to kill me and bury my body in the desert...'_

He heard Ninjor mumble something in a language he didn't understand and could feel the katana moving around his head.

"Open your eyes," the warrior said after some time.

The teen first opened one eye then the other. Ninjor stepped back, hands clasped around the blade's handle with the tip touching the ground.

"What happ – " Brown eyes widened when he looked down at his torso. "This is a _joke_ , right?"

He was dressed in white shozoku with a golden plate on his chest that bore the image of a tiger.

Seeing that the master warrior wasn't laughing, Tommy stared at him in shock. "I _just_ told you I didn't want any powers!"

"Which is exactly why they were given to you," Ninjor explained. "You want to distance yourself from the crimes you've committed. That's why you feel you should go to prison or to your grave… but you don't deserve that luxury." He pointed at Tommy. "You need to live with what you've done and atone. You _need_ to be a ranger."

"This is _insane!_ I'm not _meant_ to be a ranger! Even Zordon knew that – that's why _Rita_ chose me and not him!" Tommy yelled.

"The Great Power does not make mistakes, Tommy. If you truly weren't meant to be a ranger, you wouldn't be," he said pointedly.

" _Bullshit_ ," the teen snarled. "Your _Great Power_ allowed Rita to make me the green ranger, didn't it? It should have known the first time that this power didn't belong in my hands!"

"You're right," Ninjor admitted. "When I heard about Zedd's green ranger… for the first time, I… questioned the Great Power. Zedd and Rita's magic was strong, but the Great Power could have easily rejected you as a host if it deemed you unworthy. I feared, like you, that it was wrong... but I see now that it wasn't." He clasped his hands together. "The Great Power chose you for a reason, Tommy Oliver, even if you can't see it." The master warrior cocked his head to the side. "Or did you forget it was _you_ who played a key role in ridding the universe of Lord Zedd?"

The teen swallowed thickly at this and looked away, fingers running over the emblem on his chest as his mind wandered.

The power rangers were a symbol of peace and goodness throughout the universe, and now he was expected to masquerade around as one of them like none of the horrible shit he did ever happened? All because he decided to switch sides in the final hour and it turned out okay in the end?

 _God_ … he would have to protect the very people whose loved ones he'd just murdered.

Defend homes he'd forced millions to rebuild.

Be a beacon of hope to those he once terrorized.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably. "Ninjor, please… I-I don't think I can do this."

"Whether or not you _think_ you can is irrelevant because you _will_." Ninjor's sharp tone made him flinch. "You've already shown you're more than capable of taking a life. Protecting one should be no problem for you."

Tommy averted his gaze, shame washing over him.

Ninjor tapped on the tiger chest plate. "After all you've done, the Great Power chose the white tiger for you. Do you even _understand_ what that means?"

The teen shook his head numbly.

"White symbolizes a clean slate – a chance to start a new chapter… and the tiger symbolizes inner strength, the kind needed to overcome any obstacle." He placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You want nothing more than to escape your past, but the only way to do that is to face it head on. Confronting who you were with courage and responsibility is the only way you'll be able to grow beyond who you were and into who you were meant to be."

Tommy trembled from the power coursing through him. Before when he received his green ranger powers, he felt alive and unstoppable.

Now he felt like throwing up.

"How long do I have to…" He swallowed the lump in throat and clenched his fists. "When can I stop being a ranger?"

"When you've served your full sentence."

"Which is?" the teen asked.

"A day for every life lost by your hand."

Tommy closed his eyes in anguish. That meant he would be a ranger until the day he died.

As he tried to come to terms with this, fear gnawed away at Tommy, and he forced himself to ask what was on his mind.

"What if… what if I become that _monster_ again?" he whispered, finally giving voice to the nagging thought in his head. "I ended up doing some good in the end, but that doesn't erase all the bad. Who's to say history won't repeat itself?"

That's what scared him the most. He knew what he was capable of, and he didn't know how to trust himself anymore.

"It's _because_ you fear becoming that monster that I'm confident you won't."

The teen ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. It was clear the master warrior had made up his mind and that nothing Tommy said could change this.

He wished he could just make him _understand_.

Ninjor stepped forward. "Now, kneel, and hold out your hands so that we can complete the ceremony."

For a brief moment, Tommy considered his chances if he bolted for the exit then and there. If Ninjor didn't complete the ceremony, he couldn't be a ranger, right?

"It would be in your best interest not to make me repeat myself."

Unsure of what the warrior would do to him, Tommy dropped to his knees and warily extended his hands forward. Ninjor waved his hands above Tommy's head, speaking again in the same language as before. The teen blinked when he felt something materialize in his hands.

"Rise."

Tommy stood up and stared at the weapon in his hand. It was a beautiful white and gold saber with a tiger's head at the end. The craftsmanship was impressive, and he found himself studying it in awe.

He was so focused on its design that it took him a while to realize that the saber wasn't the only change for him. His shozoku was gone, replaced with a new power suit. The white, gold, and black design was a stark contrast to his green ranger suit. This new power suit had an almost regal feel to it.

He _hated_ it.

Ninjor waved his hand and a scroll appeared. "When you return to Eltar, you will give this to The Council."

"What is it?"

"The terms of your sentence."

Tommy frowned. "I thought being the white ranger _was_ my sentence?"

"That is only part of it. The rest is contained in this scroll for Elder Kilari to reveal when you return." Ninjor tucked the scroll underneath his arm. "Now, come with me. You have much to learn about your new powers."

* * *

 **Entry Courtyard**

 **Eltar Capital Building**

 **Capital City**

 **Three Days Later: Local time, Unknown**

It was midday when Tommy materialized in a beam of white light in front of the capital building of Eltar. Guards outside of the building jumped back in alarm at his sudden appearance.

He lifted his hands in surrender when they yelled at him rapidly in their native tongue.

"Whoa! I'm here to see The Council," he told them. "Ninjor sent me."

The guards looked at each other and exchanged tense words before slowly standing down. They motioned for him to follow, forming a circle around him as he was led down the halls.

' _The hell, Ninjor? I thought you said they knew I was coming?'_

After three days of learning about his new powers from the master warrior, it was time for Tommy to return to Eltar. Ninjor had told him that they would be expecting his arrival.

From their reception, however, it seemed that wasn't the case.

They led him down the familiar path to the main courtroom where another pair of guards stood waiting. The guards pushed open the large double-doors, allowing Tommy to make his way inside.

The room was filled with people – not as many as at his trial but pretty damn close. The Eltarian Council sat at their table near the center of the room, while members of the various ranger teams and some Eltarian citizens looked on from the stands.

"When Ninjor said he had news for The Council, we did not expect him to send a ranger to deliver the message," Elder Kilari said with interest from his seat. "I thought we knew all of the teams with human members, but I'm unfamiliar with your insignia. What team are you with, white ranger?"

"And what news of Tommy Oliver?" Gali questioned. "Did he survive the quest? Is he dead?"

Through his visor, he could make out Andros and Kimberly standing near the front of the room. Andros peered at him for several seconds before averting his gaze, a ghost of a smile crossing his face.

He knew.

Of _course_ he fucking knew.

Beside Andros, Kimberly was staring directly at him. Unlike the others who looked at him with shock, she wore a mix of anxiety and curiosity on her face. Her head tilted to the side, eyes appraising him.

Tommy locked eyes with Kimberly, somehow knowing she could tell he was looking at her through his visor. He nodded at the question in her eyes, his own now watery from the sting of tears. The pink ranger gasped, a hand covering her mouth. Andros rest a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, softly murmuring something in her ear.

The white ranger tore his gaze from her and turned to look at the crowd.

Being back in the courtroom with the people who called for his execution and knowing the violent storm of emotions that would erupt once he revealed himself made Tommy realize that Ninjor was right. Death and prison were the easy ways out. He wouldn't have to be confronted with their anger or work to earn their trust and respect.

To really atone, he _had_ to face his past head-on.

He _needed_ this.

Taking a deep breath, Tommy reached up and undid the clasps of his helmet. He took it off and tucked it under his arm, drawing gasps and upset cries from the crowd. He stood taller in the wake of their outrage, their rage and pain feeding his determination to redeem himself.

"Guess who's back?"

* * *

 **Operations Room**

 **Astro Megaship**

 **Capital City**

 **Two Hours Later, Local time, Unknown**

Tommy cupped the cold drink that was handed to him.

"Thanks," he murmured before taking a sip. Brown eyes continued scanning the faded parchment sitting before him on the table.

It'd taken nearly fifteen minutes to get everyone to calm down after he revealed himself to be the mysterious white ranger. Gali had turned a nasty shade of purple from his anger, and two of the councilmembers had actually fainted from shock. Several were convinced that he'd killed Ninjor and taken the powers for himself – an assumption that he honestly couldn't blame them for given his history. Tommy had handed Elder Kilari the sealed scroll that Ninjor gave him, and it was only when the Eltarian confirmed both Ninjor's seal and his handwriting to be authentic that the room became calm.

Kilari had quickly scanned over the scroll before reading it aloud for everyone to hear. In it, Ninjor clearly explained that he chose to judge Tommy the way he judged all newcomers to the temple – by way of the Great Power. If he passed the trials, it meant the Great Power saw Tommy's potential for doing good and had bigger plans for him than any of them could understand; if he failed, it meant the Great Power did not believe he possessed any goodness, and Ninjor would have killed him immediately for his crimes.

Ninjor also explained that, despite Tommy's destiny to become the white ranger, he did not feel the teen was ready to take on the mantle just yet. As a prerequisite to wielding that power, Tommy had to complete training at The Eltarian Academy and partake in regularly scheduled psychological evaluations to monitor any lingering effects of Zedd's spell. Ninjor had total confidence in the teen's skills on the battlefield, but he would only officially sign off on sending Tommy out on missions after it was clear the white ranger both thoroughly understood the ranger philosophy and was deemed mentally fit to serve.

Tommy had been surprised when he learned the conditions of his sentence. Selfishly, he supported anything that delayed him becoming the white ranger as part of him still wanted to fight against having this responsibility thrust upon him even now. But if he was being completely honest, he was more relieved than anything else.

It was only a few days ago that he was so consumed with guilt that he felt death was a better option than living another day with the weight of his sins. For him to go from feeling like _that_ to wholeheartedly embracing his new role as the white ranger was not just unrealistic – it was impossible.

What made him such a good green ranger was the confidence he had in both himself and his ability to complete whatever mission was assigned to him.

He didn't feel that same confidence as the white ranger. His heart was too heavy, and his head was just too much of a fucking mess to bear that responsibility.

He needed more time.

Andros took the seat across from his friend. "How are you feeling?"

"Don't think there's a word for it." Tommy ran a finger along the rim of his cup. "Just feeling _a lot_ of different things at the moment."

"I hope one of those feelings is gratitude," Jen said tersely as she emerged from the hallway. She was dressed in her Time Force uniform. "None of us are happy about the way things turned out, but if I have to choose between this and the future we live in now, I'll take your sorry ass being a ranger any – "

She winced suddenly and pressed a hand to her temple.

"Jen… you okay?" Andros asked.

"Yeah, it's just – " She winced again. "The timeline's changing and…" She groaned in pain. "…my memories are reconciling. I can feel the events of some of my past missions shifting even now."

"Does that mean that it worked?" Tommy asked anxiously. "Did Ryan's future change?"

"I'm not… sure. The changes have only reached some of my missions in the twenty-first century so far." She rubbed her forehead gingerly. "We need to get back to our time before the temporal paradox reaches the year 3000."

"That would be wise," Andros agreed. "I'll walk you out."

Tommy stood quickly and walked around them, blocking their path. He saw Jen tense up, fist clenched as if preparing to hit him. He held up his hands to show he wasn't a threat.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

"I didn't do it for you," she said with a scowl.

"I'm not thanking you for me," he clarified. "I don't deserve this – _any_ of this – but my son and Kimberly, the innocent people who suffer under the Green Dragon… they _do_." Her expression softened at this. "I don't know what kind of sacrifice you all just made by changing history, but thank you for having the courage to do it."

' _Thank you for being braver than me,_ ' he added silently.

Tommy held out his hand for her to shake. He expected her to brush him off like last time, so he was genuinely surprised when she clasped his hand and shook it.

"Take care of yourself, Oliver." She released him and leaned in close. "Screw this up, and I swear I _will_ find a way back."

"I don't doubt it," he murmured as he watched her head out with Andros. Tommy had complete confidence that if he were to mess up this chance – someway, somehow – Jen Scotts would be on his doorstep ready to kick his ass.

The white ranger rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He prayed this really did fix everything in the future.

He _needed_ that to be the case.

Out of everything he felt guilty about, his family's future was at the top of the list. It hurt like hell to learn that his child grows up to become a monster and that Kim chooses to take her own life to escape the hell she's living in.

It hurt doubly to see that it all tied back to him.

They'd already been through so much because of his shit; he couldn't stand the thought that he was still ruining their lives even after his death.

"Everything all right?" Tommy turned to see Andros standing in the doorway.

He sat back in his chair. "Yeah… just thinking."

The KOan brushed a hand through his hair. "Time Force should be heading out soon. They're just rounding up the last few officers."

Tommy nodded. "What about the other teams?"

Andros took a seat and sighed. "Aside from me, only Zhane and the Earth team are still here. I'm staying until Karone's trial is over. Jason, Zack, and Alpha 5 are scheduled to meet with The Council in two days to figure out how they should proceed now that Zordon's…"

The white ranger frowned when the KOan trailed off. "Right."

With Zordon dead, the Earth team was left without a mentor, and Karone now had to go on trial after revealing she was alive to The Council during his trial.

' _My fault… again,'_ he thought glumly.

"What about the others on the Earth team?" the white ranger asked.

"They're heading back tomorrow morning."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah," Andros confirmed. "Zhane's taking the Megaship to KO-35 first so Kim can grab her things, but after that, he's taking everyone home. Kim wants to get Ryan situated on Earth, and Billy and Trini are going back to help her out and assess the damage from the inv-"

"Where's Kim right now?" Tommy interrupted.

"Probably at Zordon's estate," Andros said. He raised an eyebrow when Tommy stood up suddenly, downing the rest of his drink. "What are you doing?"

"I need to talk to her," he mumbled. "Where's his estate?"

"It's a tan cylindrical building on the east side of the city that – " Tommy moved past Andros for the exit. "Hey, wait a second! _Tommy!_ "

The white ranger ignored his friend and continued for the flight deck. He spotted a building matching the description off in the distance.

"That one?" he asked pointing at it. Andros nodded. "I'm going there now."

Andros stepped in front of him and shook his head. "Tommy, you can't just walk to Zordon's home. Exonerated or not, the people out there _hate_ you," he stressed. "If they see you, there's nothing stopping them from hurting you, and I doubt the guards will lift a finger to help."

"I understand that, but I can't just not see her," Tommy argued.

"No one's saying that," the KOan said calmly. "My point is that if you want to see Kim, you need to be smart about it."

"Did you have something in mind?"

Ten minutes later, Tommy found himself carefully navigating the packed streets of the Eltarian capital city. He shifted the shawl Andros gave him higher up around his neck, tucking the lower half of his face behind the thin fabric. He was taller than most Eltarians, which automatically drew attention to him, so he kept his gaze averted in case someone decided to stare at him a little too long.

He walked for nearly another hour before reaching the gates of Zordon's estate. There were a few guards along the perimeter, but he managed to slip by them undetected to the back of the property. Tommy climbed a nearby tree, carefully walking along one of its branches before jumping over the gate. He ran full speed to the back of the building, eyes searching for a door or window he could use.

Off to the side, he spotted a single green door along the wall. He knocked on it, peeking around every so often to make sure no one saw him.

There was no response for a long time, and he contemplated scaling the wall to the window above his head when he heard rustling on the other side.

The door opened slowly. "Can I help y – _Tommy?!_ "

He pulled down the shawl so that his face was clearly visible. "Yeah, it's me," he breathed.

"Oh god, what are you doing here?" Kim looked around nervously before grabbing his hand and yanking him inside.

"Did anyone see you? They'll be so pissed if they find out you're here."

"No one saw me." Tommy glanced around the perimeter once more before shutting the door. He turned to her. "We need to talk."

The shock from seeing him faded into understanding, and she nodded slowly. "Yeah… yeah, we do need to talk, don't we?"

Kim grabbed his hand and led him further into the house. The white ranger frowned as he took in his surroundings – he'd never been in a house like _this_ before. It looked more like a cave than a home, with intricate designs curved into the walls. There also appeared to be no real furniture except for the area he assumed was the kitchen.

"What the hell kind of house is this?"

She shook her head. "Don't ask. I've been here for weeks and still haven't quite figured it out."

Kimberly led him up a winding staircase to a massive bedroom, where a pallet made of thick blankets and over-sized pillows covered the floor. Off to the side, a small bassinet rocked gently with a sleeping Ryan inside.

Tommy released Kim and headed over to their son, peering down at the sleeping baby while he threw his shawl off to the side. He had a full head of thick, curly hair that stuck out in all directions, pulling a chuckle from the white ranger. The child sucked on a black and yellow bumblebee pacifier as he slept with the stuffed green dragon firmly tucked at his side. Tommy grinned at the way his butt stuck out in the air.

"He's so much bigger than before," the white ranger murmured as he ran a hand along the boy's back.

Kim nodded. "It's been nearly four months since you last saw him."

"Four months…" Tommy rubbed his face in frustration. "Jesus…"

"Hey," she said, grabbing the sides of his face and forcing his gaze to lock with hers. "I know you would've been there if you could have."

"Yeah…" The white ranger cupped her hands. "Guess I have all the time in the world now, huh?"

He led her over to the makeshift pallet. They took a seat across from each other, legs folded and crossed with their knees almost touching. The two sat in silence for nearly two minutes, and he could tell from Kim's fidgeting that it was starting to get to her.

"For someone who wants to talk, you're not putting in a lot of effort."

"Just trying to collect my thoughts," he murmured. He glanced at the sleeping infant. "I still can't believe he has powers." He looked back at Kim, eyebrow raised at her pensive expression. "And you don't seem to be freaking out about it as much as I thought you'd be."

"…I'm not freaked out. Not anymore," she admitted. "I already knew it was a possibility when Billy told me – "

"Billy?"

She nodded. "He said something about the baby having your energy signature back when the team found out I was pregnant. It's how he figured out the baby was yours and not Jason's." She looked over at their son. "I asked him to keep quiet about it… guess the cat's out of the bag now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tommy asked, hurt that she kept something so important from him.

"We didn't know for sure if he would have powers; and if you remember, the two of us weren't exactly on the best of terms until recently. I didn't even think I was going to _see_ you again to be able to tell you."

When she put it like that, he couldn't really fault her for withholding the truth. "Hm."

The pink ranger bit her lip. "Has there been any word from Jen if their plan worked?"

"Not yet." He squeezed her thigh at her disappointed expression. "She did say other events have changed, though… I'm sure everything will work out, Kim."

"God, I hope so." She grabbed a pillow and cradled it against her chest. "Hearing how much pain he was in and what he became because of it – "

"Is something we won't have to worry about," he said strongly. "Ryan will be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure at all – in fact, he was deeply concerned it didn't work. But one look at Kim told him that if he did nothing else, he needed to least convince _her_ that things would turn out okay,

"C'mon, Kim… don't tell me _you_ stopped believing that anything is possible?"

That pulled a surprised chuckle from her. "I can't believe _you_ of all people just threw _that_ in my face."

He shrugged. "Listen, Ryan's got half of your genes in him… if he manages to have even a little bit of your spirit, then we have nothing to worry about."

The hopeful smile on her face was contagious, and he could feel himself smiling back just as widely. Tommy squeezed her thigh once more for reassurance before clearing his throat.

"So… Andros told me you're leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah…" She brushed her hair behind her ear. "KO-35 was great to us but… there's no place like home, y'know?"

He nodded. "I'm glad you're able to go back," he said sincerely. She never wanted to leave in the first place – _he_ put her in that position. "I'm sure your folks are running themselves crazy looking for you."

A soft smile formed on her lips. "I just hope they're okay… God, I haven't even thought about how to explain Ryan to them. Mom and Dad always said they wanted to be grandparents, though I'm guessing they didn't see it happening quite like this."

Tommy averted his gaze as a wave of sadness hit him. He'd wondered more than once how his own parents would react to him having a son. He imagined his dad would pass out from shock, while his mom would burst into tears.

Unfortunately for him, there was no way of ever truly knowing how they'd feel.

Kim seemed to notice his despondent expression. "I-I'm sorry, that was insensitive. I – "

He held up a hand. "You did nothing wrong, Kim." He turned to look at their son. "I'm sure your parents will love him."

"Yeah." The pink ranger traced random designs in the blanket with her fingers. "So are you going to tell me what you came here to talk about?"

"I've been thinking." He bit his bottom lip. "About where things go from here."

Kim froze at this. "Tommy… I…did you come here to talk about us getting back together? Because I can't – "

"I didn't," he interrupted.

She blinked. "You didn't?"

"No. Getting back together is the _last_ thing on my mind," he told her. He frowned when he noticed her shocked expression. "Sorry, that came out wrong." He grabbed her hands in his. "I love you."

Her lips curled at this. "I know."

"And you know how much I want to be with you and Ryan." The white ranger licked his lips. "…but I don't think I can… not right now, anyway."

She narrowed her eyes in question, though he could see she had visibly relaxed. "What brought this on?"

"Having a clear head," he said softly. "Zedd's spell had my mind all fucked up, and now that it's broken... I did a lot of shit as the green ranger that I gotta find a way to come to terms with before trying to jump into a relationship." Tommy ran a hand over his head. "You remember how part of my punishment is to attend therapy sessions regularly?" He locked their fingers together when she nodded. "I'm gonna use it as a chance to work all the shit out in my head. Get some professional help."

She squeezed his hands encouragingly. "I think that's a great idea."

"Yeah?" he asked, tone unsure.

"Absolutely." She squeezed his hands again. "All of this… it's been a lot to process. For everyone."

"So you're not mad?"

"Mad? Tommy… I'm _relieved_ ," she confessed.

"Really?" At her nod, he toyed with her fingers. "Would you have wanted to get back together if I hadn't said something first?"

A pained look crossed her face, and she looked away.

"If I'm being honest? …No," she confessed. She bit her lip at his crestfallen expression and quickly cupped his face. "I love you, I do." He smiled at that. "But the same way you need time to work things out in your head, well… so do I."

She let go of him and clasped her hands together in her lap.

"We've been going nonstop since all of this started, and it always felt like I was just waiting for the next bad thing to happen. I finally feel like I can take a moment to just… _breathe_."

The white ranger nodded, understanding exactly what she meant.

"And I still haven't… I know why you k-killed Zordon but… " Kim exhaled shakily and blinked back tears. "I think time apart will do us both some good right now."

Tommy averted his gaze, unable to handle the pain swimming in those brown pools. He wanted to ask her if she'd ever be able to forgive him, but he didn't want to push her. Kimberly needed to make peace with what happened to her mentor on her own time, and he had to respect that.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, needing to kill the lingering awkwardness between them.

"What is it?"

He picked at the blankets idly. "Were you really going to leave without saying goodbye?"

Kim didn't say anything for a while, and for a moment, he thought she wouldn't answer his questions.

She licked her lips nervously. "Tommy, I – "

Soft whimpering interrupted their conversation, and they turned to see a wide-awake Ryan peeking over the edge of his bassinet. The infant was turning red, lower lip trembling as he cried. Kim crawled over to him and stretched out her hands, grinning when the little boy lifted his hands to her so she could pick him up.

"Come here, baby," she murmured, holding him against her chest. She rubbed soothing circles into his back. "You're okay."

The pink ranger gave him his pacifier, and he immediately quieted. Ryan's tiny arms clung to his mother while his gaze traveled over to Tommy who still sat several feet away. Kim noticed what had caught the boy's attention and kissed his temple. Carefully, Kim made her way back over to the timid white ranger. She lay the infant down on the blanket so that he was between them on his back.

"No," she whispered, fingers dancing along the baby's stomach.

Tommy reluctantly tore his eyes away from his son. "What?"

"I wasn't going to leave… not without letting you see him first," she clarified. She grinned when Ryan grabbed hold of her finger, oblivious to the intense stare Tommy sent her way.

The white ranger leaned over and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead. He chuckled when he felt the boy's hands reach up to squish his cheeks.

"I missed you, buddy," he whispered.

Next to them, Kimberly laid down on her side with her head propped up on her hand. She gently carded her fingers through the child's hair.

Tommy's eyes widened in surprise when Ryan suddenly rolled over onto his stomach. The child spat out his pacifier and grinned at his father. Tommy reached for him, chest growing tight when the boy came to him willingly. He lifted Ryan so that he lay along his chest, and the teen grinned when the baby pushed himself up, a trail of drool falling from his mouth as he attempted to feed Tommy his hand. Ryan eventually gave up and rest his head against his father's chest as he clutched Tommy's tank top.

"When do you head off for training?" she asked softly.

Tommy ran his fingers through his son's curls. "Not sure. Apparently, they take a new class of trainees at specific times in the year, but my situation is a little unique. They want to put me on a different program."

"What's different about it?"

"Not sure," he admitted. "Only thing I know is that my instructor isn't the normal one. I'm training directly under the leader of The Academy."

"Dulcea's training you?" she asked.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

"Sorta. Usually you have to graduate from The Academy to become a ranger, but we don't really have the luxury of just leaving Earth for Eltar like that as high school students. Dulcea helped come up with a training protocol that could be used for our team. We met her a few times when she'd stop by to check on our progress."

"What's she like?"

"Strong. Intelligent. Skilled. Kind of aloof, I guess, but also a badass. Not really one for bullshit," Kim cracked a tiny smile. "Zack learned that the hard way."

"Hm."

This Dulcea woman sounded similar to Scorpina to the white ranger, a fact which both reassured and saddened him.

Ryan lifted his head and turned to his mother, a tiny hand reaching out for her. Kim stuck out her finger and let him grab hold, smiling when he pulled her hand to his mouth. Drool landed on his shirt as he tried his best to eat her fingers.

"Silly boy… I need to give you a bath before we leave tomorrow," she murmured. She looked out the window and then she sent an apologetic look at the white ranger. "I'm sorry, but it's getting late and..."

"Don't need to apologize, Kim. I'm the one that showed up unannounced." He pressed another kiss to his son's cheek. "I should get going anyway."

She bit her lip. "Yeah."

Carefully, Tommy pushed himself to his feet while balancing Ryan against his shoulder. He offered his free hand to Kim, pulling her to feet to stand next to him. He followed the pink ranger down the stairs with Ryan securely in his arms. He paused when they reached the backdoor of the house and handed the infant over to her while she handled him his shawl. The white ranger reached out and brushed a thumb along the boy's cheek.

"I'm gonna be thinking about you every day, buddy," he said fiercely.

The little boy grabbed his father's thumb and squeezed.

"Will you let me see him when I get back?"

Kim blinked in confusion. "What?"

Tommy scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Before all of this stuff happened, the plan was to say Jason was his father and for the two of you to raise Ryan. I know you were going to wait until he was older to tell him about me… but things have obviously changed."

The pink ranger furrowed her brow. "I think what happens depends on you."

"On me?" he asked in surprise.

"You're no longer a threat to anyone's safety, so there's no reason to keep you a secret from him." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "But you have to do _your_ part, Tommy. No more lies, no more bullshit, no excuses... you're his father, but I'll only let you see him if you've truly gotten your act together and will put in the work to be there for him."

His eyes hardened. "You know I will."

"Good." Kim stepped forward and grabbed a hold of his arm, squeezing it firmly. "Take care of yourself, Tommy."

Before she could step away, the white ranger cupped her face and brushed a thumb along her cheek. He leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss – it was easy enough to do, and he knew she wouldn't stop him – but at the last second he changed his trajectory and pressed his lips to her forehead for a heartfelt kiss.

He'd overstepped enough boundaries with Kim already; if he was serious about doing things right, he needed to show her with his actions.

"Goodbye, Kimberly," he whispered against her skin.

Tommy ran a hand along Ryan's face one last time before pulling the shawl over his head. The white ranger took off running across the field. It was much darker outside than before, providing more coverage than when he first snuck onto the estate. He kept to the shadows until he made it to a large tree, and he climbed its thick branches so that he could get over the gate.

Right before making the jump, the white ranger turned back around to where Kim and Ryan were.

' _Once I figure things out, I'm coming back for you… both of you,'_ he thought with conviction. _'I promise.'_

* * *

 _Phew! And with that, the story of the green ranger is **DONE!** The core of this story/series is the green ranger's journey, and I wanted to really take my time and do it justice in this final chapter. So it's long and it's heavy, but I think it's important to really mine through everything that's happened in a way that's meaningful. I hope you all agree._

 _Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering... What about Tommy's story? And Kim? Ryan? Jason? The universe after the invasion? Do Tommy and Kim ever get back together? Does Jason ever find happiness? Does Andros stick around? My answer to that... is **stay tuned for the epilogue!** It will be posted in the coming weeks and will answer those questions (and many more). _

_Thank you, and again, please read and review!_


	8. Epilogue

_**Author's Note:** And now, without further ado, the epilogue! Thanks to my beta, Bellarose20, for all the help! _

_I hope you all enjoy, and as always, reviews are appreciated!_

* * *

 **Pocket Dimension 62**

 **Morphing Grid**

 **Saturday, 10:48 AM**

 **Two Years, Nine Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**

Tommy sat on the leather sofa with his arms crossed, dressed in a white tank top, khaki shorts, and white flip flops. He bounced his left leg up and down against the carpet.

"Tommy."

He blinked, attention shifting to the only other person with him in the room, though, technically, he supposed she wasn't really given that she was a hologram. "Hm?"

"Am I keeping you from something more important?"

He flushed under her gaze. "Sorry, Dimitria. I just… I've got a lot on my mind."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is that not what our sessions are for?"

Tommy chuckled. She had a point there.

"Whatever it is, we can talk about it," she said gently. "I know today's focus is the progress report, but if would you like to – ?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He glanced discreetly at his watch – he still had plenty of time. "Let's get going."

Dimitria hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well."

Part of Tommy's sentence for his crimes as the green ranger was to have regular psychological evaluations with Dimitria, a sage from the planet of Inquiris who was a trusted friend of Ninjor and the Eltarians.

Initially, he did not like her at all. No one warned him that she was the twin sister of General Divatox, so he'd been alarmed upon first meeting her. Adding on to that, the woman had a way of not answering a single question he asked, choosing instead to throw the question back for him to answer. It took him a while to understand that she wasn't trying to piss him off but rather force him to dig deep and discover the answer to those questions himself.

It was clearly some sort of Jedi mind trick, and the reason why she was so good at her job.

"As you know, after every twelve sessions, I must submit a summative evaluation to Ninjor and The Eltarian Council." Several holographic documents materialized in the room, each with his picture in the top right corner and blocks of handwritten text beneath. "And because of his recent assignment to the Earth team, Commander Cruger will also receive a copy of the report."

"Right."

"If we look back twelve sessions ago…" All but one of the documents disappeared. "You were nearing the end of your time at The Academy."

His eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

She nodded. "Nearly six Earth months."

"Damn…" He ran a hand through his hair. "That feels like ages ago."

* * *

 _ **Master Training Room**_

 _ **The Eltarian Academy**_

 _ **Local Time, Dusk**_

 _ **Seven Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

 _Sweat dripped down Tommy's face as he swung his bo staff hard into his opponent's side. The woman groaned and rolled away from him, elbow flying out to hit him square in the chest._

 _Tommy stumbled back with a grunt. Thinking quickly, he launched himself into the air over her head. It was clear the move caught her by surprise, and he was able to restrain her with his bo staff in her confusion._

" _You yield?"_

" _Never!" she snarled._

 _A swirl of colors was all he saw as he was unceremoniously flipped over her head, right onto his ass._

" _Come on, Oliver… you can do better than that."_

 _He blinked several times against the pain in his head. '_ Dammit.'

 _Footsteps approached from behind. "We can stop now… just say the word," she teased._

" _Shut up," he growled._

 _He reached up and wrapped a hand around her ankle, yanking hard to bring her down to the ground. The white ranger rolled away from her, transitioning to a kip-up at the end. He grabbed his bo staff off the ground and faced his opponent, placing it against her throat._

 _Unfortunately for him, she was able to recover from her fall and had her saber pressed right against his Adam's apple. The two stared one another down, bodies tense as each waited for the other to make a move. Sensing that she wasn't going to attack, Tommy backed off and brought his staff back to his side. The saber at his throat lowered in turn as his opponent pulled herself to her feet._

" _Good work." The two turned as Dulcea approached them with her staff in hand. "You've finally managed to apply the second rule."_

 _The two fighters looked at each other before reciting the phrase that had been drilled into them. "Never escalate a battle unless forced to."_

 _Dulcea nodded. "You've made significant progress in your training, especially you, Karone. This may be the first battle where you haven't drawn blood."_

 _The blonde grinned and wiped her forehead. "Only because I had a great teacher." She lowered her saber and tapped the flat side against Tommy's leg. "And a good partner."_

 _He gave a weak laugh. "I'm starting to regret it." He stretched out his sore muscles. "Don't know how many more times I can take getting my ass kicked."_

 _Karone pat him on the shoulder. "Oh, I think you can handle a few more rounds."_

 _He flipped her off, only to roll his eyes when she stared at his raised middle finger with a raised eyebrow._

" _Dammit… you're as bad as your brother about knowing Earth shit," he muttered. "It means fu – "_

" _Tommy." He flinched at Dulcea's sharp tone and lowered his hand. "We're done with your physical training for today."_

'Thank God. _' He felt like he would collapse if he had to do anymore._

" _You may return to your barracks," Dulcea continued. "And tomorrow, you shall rest."_

 _Tommy and Karone shot each other surprised looks._

" _We have tomorrow off?" Karone asked._

 _Tommy narrowed his eyes. "Is this a trick?"_

 _Due to the intensity of their training, they were allowed one day off every ten days. The white ranger had tried to reason with Dulcea on making their days off more frequent, but it only took a few months training with her to see that the leader of The Eltarian Academy would not budge._

 _Which was precisely why he was having a hard time believing her now._

 _Duclea's lips quirked in the ghost of a smile. "I assure you, Tommy, I am being genuine."_

 _He glanced at Karone. "This is totally a trick."_

 _The Phaedosian warrior chuckled softly. "I will see you in two days' time. Be here at twilight."_

 _A swirl of light surrounded the older woman then, and with a flash, a white, snowy owl stood in her place. The owl blinked at them slowly before taking off into the evening sky._

" _That is still the coolest shit I've ever seen."_

 _Karone snorted. "You Earthlings are easily impressed." She returned her saber to its scabbard at her waist. "Dinner?"_

 _Nearly an hour later and freshly showered, the two sat together in the third floor mess hall. Tommy devoured his meal, pulling a grimace from his companion._

" _You're disgusting."_

 _He grinned in response, mouth open showing his chewed up food._

" _Ugh."_

 _His friendship with Karone was one of the few highlights of his time at The Academy so far, even if it was born from unfortunate circumstances._

 _He'd learned from Andros that Karone's trial resulted in a similar sentence as his. She didn't have to go on the Quest for Power like he did as everyone knew the kind of person Karone was before she was Astronema. They knew that the only reason she accepted Zedd's offer was to protect the people of KO-35, so no further proof was needed to show The Council that she would do whatever it took to protect those in need if she were a ranger._

 _She did, however, have to complete training at The Academy to ensure that any influence from Zedd was gone. Like him, she was assigned directly to Dulcea._

 _The universe knew them as Astronema and the evil green ranger, and as a result, they were outcasts at The Academy. Tommy was used to it, having been treated as such by most of the other officers when he worked for the Dark Empire. Karone, however, appeared to be having a difficult time with the it, and he imagined after years trapped in her own personal hell back in the psychiatric ward, further isolation was the last thing she needed._

 _He knew that better than anyone._

 _And that was exactly why, upon seeing her sitting by herself at lunch on the first day of at The Academy, he joined her. The people around them had openly stared, but he didn't pay them any mind._

 _He didn't give a shit what any of them thought. The grateful smile she sent his way let him know he'd done the right thing._

 _Since that day, he and Karone had begun a surprisingly close friendship. He found that she was a lot like her brother, albeit much more personable and less intense; and while she was quite beautiful, he was not attracted to her in that way. Karone shared a similar opinion of him, though she was frequently annoyed by his more obnoxious qualities._

 _The strength of their bond came from their shared experience with Lord Zedd. Few people understood what it was like to be controlled in that way, and even fewer had lived to talk about it. Having Karone there gave him someone he could share his thoughts and feelings with about what happened to him without the fear of judgment._

 _Her friendship, in combination with Dulcea's guidance and Dimitria's therapy sessions, were proving quite crucial to his success at The Academy._

" _Oh!" Karone took a sip of her drink. "My brother sent you something."_

 _Tommy raised an eyebrow and swallowed the food in his mouth. "Really?"_

 _She nodded and reached into her bag. "Here."_

 _He took the package from her. "Any idea what it is?"_

" _All he said is that it's something you'll want to see."_

" _Hm."_

 _The rest of their dinner was uneventful, and afterwards, the two said their goodbyes and turned in for the evening. Once he was back in his room, Tommy opened the package from Andros._

 _Inside was a silver, rectangular box with a large button protruding from the surface and a brown envelope. He recognized the box as a video message, similar to the one he sent Kimberly long ago._

" _Made a message for me, Andy?" he said to himself. "I'm touched."_

 _He set the message box down and grabbed the envelope. Once he got it open, he dumped the contents onto the sheets and rolled his eyes when he saw it was another brown envelope with a note taped to the front._

" _Envelope in an envelope? Really?"_

 _His name was written at the top in what he immediately recognized as Andros' neat handwriting._

" _Tommy. I know how difficult training can be at The Academy. Here's something to keep your spirits up on your darkest days," he read aloud. The white ranger rolled his eyes. "Darkest days? So dramatic."_

 _He opened the envelope and reached inside, frowning at what felt like index cards. He pulled them out, eyes widening when he realized what they were._

 _Photographs._

 _Of Ryan._

 _The first of him mid-crawl with a bit of drool coming from his mouth. Another showing off his first two teeth. Another of him with cake all over his face and hands while wearing a lopsided birthday hat. Another of him in an adorable Santa Claus outfit._

 _One after the other, he moved through the pictures chronicling his son's life over the last few months. By the time he reached the last photo of Kimberly blowing raspberries on a laughing Ryan's stomach, his vision was so blurred from trying to hold back tears that he could barely make it out._

" _Shit." He exhaled loudly and wiped at his eyes. He glanced at the message box beside him and chuckled. "Now I'm scared to even open you."_

 _Gingerly, he set the photos down on his pillow. Tommy then set the message box on his lap and pushed the silver button. It took a few seconds for the video to come into view._

" _Are you recording?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _All right." The camera turned to show a smiling Kimberly standing beside the person holding the camera who, by their voice, Tommy realized was Trini._

 _The white ranger blinked in surprise._ 'A video… of Kim?'

 _It wasn't that he minded – far from it. He hadn't expected her to send him anything while he was training._

 _She looked really good... and happy._

" _Come on, Ryan," the pink ranger cooed. "Come to mommy!"_

 _The camera shifted to the far side of the room and zoomed in to where Ryan leaned against the base of an armchair on chubby little legs. He grinned around the pacifier in his mouth and stepped forward towards his mother._

 _Tommy's eyes watered at the sight of him taking his first steps. It was clear he'd missed so much of his son's growth, and each step the boy took was like a tiny cut to the white ranger's soul._

 _At one point, Ryan faltered and fell back onto his butt. He blinked and looked at Kimberly in surprise. For a moment, Tommy thought the boy was going to burst into tears._

" _Aww, it's okay. You can get back up," she said softly. "Come on, baby, you're almost here."_

 _Ryan smiled at her around his pacifier and clapped his hands._

 _Trini's giggle came from behind the camera. "Oh god, he's so adorable," she murmured._

 _Kim squatted and extended her arms. "I'm right here, come on…"_

 _He reached out for her, frowning when she didn't move closer to him._

" _You've gotta come to me."_

 _Tommy watched in awe as the baby furrowed his brow and pushed himself up to stand on wobbly legs._

 _The pink ranger grinned and clapped. "That's it, come on!"_

 _Ryan seemed to be encouraged by her clapping and spat his pacifier out in excitement._

" _Mama…mama!" He babbled and moved towards her, quickly shuffling across the floor to get to his mother. "Mama! Mama! Mama!"_

 _Kim laughed when he was within arm's reach and scooped him up. He giggled when she pressed kisses all over his face._

" _Oh, baby, I'm so proud of you!" She nuzzled her nose against his while little hands squished her cheeks. "My strong little man!"_

 _The video cut out after a few more seconds, leaving Tommy in silence with tears coursing down his face. He wiped them away roughly and sniffled._

 _It hurt like hell to know he missed the chance to see something so special in person, but he was glad to at least get the opportunity to see it._

 _He wasn't sure if the video and pictures were something Kim asked be sent to him or if Andros had made the decision to share the video on his own, but either way, he was grateful._

 _Tommy wiped his face clear of tears once more. The white ranger set the message box off to the side and exhaled deeply._

 _The adrenaline surge from seeing his son was passing and now he felt unbelievably drained._

 _Carefully, he climbed under the covers and rest his head on the pillow, chest still tight with emotion. He turned onto his side towards the window, eyes drawn to the way the moonlight shined down on the photos near his pillow. Calloused fingers traced his son's face in the photos before shakily moving to Kim's smiling face._

 _It wasn't long after that he fell into a peaceful asleep with the photo of Kimberly and Ryan clutched tightly between his fingers._

* * *

"During that session, you said that your time at The Academy was only somewhat beneficial. Now that more time has passed, do you still hold that opinion?"

He gnawed on his bottom lip for a moment. "My feelings have changed."

"Could you elaborate?"

"I was already a fourth degree black belt in karate by the time I went to The Academy, which on Earth means I've reached a certain level of mastery and competence in my fighting style," he explained in case she wasn't familiar with martial arts on Earth. "So from that standpoint, there was nothing The Academy offered that was worth my time."

The scratch of someone writing on paper came through the hologram. "Hm."

"But..." A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. "The other stuff… that was worth it."

"Such as?"

"Karone." He gave a genuine smile. "We only became friends because of our time together at The Academy… I don't think I would've made it through without her." His expression grew pensive. "And Dulcea… she helped me get my head on straight."

"In what way?"

"Zedd… he taught me that power comes from dominance, and dominance can only be achieved through brutality." He frowned at the memory of his former master. "Dulcea reminded me that there's also power in restraint. I knew that before I was the green ranger, but when I got those powers…"

He trailed off, shame washing over him. He'd trained in the martial arts for nearly his entire life and had proven himself to be capable of discipline and self-control. It was embarrassing to reflect on how quickly he threw it all away at the chance to get revenge.

The white ranger clenched his fist. "I won't make the same mistake again."

"You seem fairly confident about that."

"I am."

"How are you so certain?"

"When Rita came to me, I was… weak," he admitted. "I wanted to believe the power she and Zedd offered would help me get what I wanted, and that getting that power was worth whatever the cost. I don't believe that anymore."

"And what is it that you believe now?"

"That the hardest thing is knowing exactly what you want and how to get it… and choosing not to." He smiled softly as he remembered Dulcea's words. "Knowing what's right and having the strength to put the greater good above your own needs… that's real power." He toyed with his communicator. "I understand that now."

"I see." Soft scribbling could be heard, indicating that she was taking notes. "Let's continue."

The projected image of his file disappeared and another went up in its place.

"Five months ago, you graduated from The Academy. At the time, you stated you weren't sure about coming back home."

"I remember." He crossed his arms over his chest. "It'd been so long…" Tommy sagged against the cushions. "Wasn't sure what to expect when I got there."

* * *

 _ **Astro Megaship Control Room**_

 _ **Earth's Exosphere**_

 _ **Local Time, Unknown**_

 _ **Two Years, Four Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

" _Would you please stop doing that?"_

 _Tommy turned to face the annoyed silver space ranger. Zhane massaged his temples wearily._

" _No need to get all pissy, dude."_

" _Given that you've been doing that for the last five minutes straight, I think I'm well within my right to 'get pissy', as you put it."_

 _The white ranger glared at the KOan before turning back to look out the window of the Astro Megaship. It only took a few seconds before he was back to tapping his fingers against the control deck._

" _Tommy, I swear if you don't stop this instant, I will take my silverizer and shove it up your – "_

" _Give him a break, Zhane," Andros said as he walked past them. "He's just nervous… wouldn't you be if you were him?"_

 _Zhane only rolled his eyes in his response, though he did refrain from making any further threats against the white ranger._

'Nervous?' _Tommy thought with sarcasm._ 'Try scared shitless.'

" _APPROACHING EARTH'S THERMOSPHERE."_

" _All right," Andros said as he typed on the computer. "I've put in the coordinates. The area should be clear." He turned to Tommy. "Are you ready?"_

" _Is that a serious question? Dude, I'm two seconds away from pissing on myself."_

" _Please wait until you're no longer on the ship to do that," Zhane murmured as he rubbed his forehead._

 _Tommy's retort was kept at bay when Andros walked over to him and placed comforting hands on his shoulders. "It will be fine."_

 _The white ranger took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face that he hoped was confident._

 _His nerves hadn't been so bad when Karone had been there, but now she was off to Terra Venture to join her new team. With her gone, his anxiety was through the roof._

" _You'll have about two hours before you'll need to report to Cruger." Andros stepped back. "D.E.C.A., send Tommy down to the coordinates I programmed."_

" _Yes, Andros. Teleporting now."_

 _The KOan smiled as Tommy body was enveloped in a bright white light. "Good luck."_

 _The white ranger grimaced when he rematerialized on a sidewalk – he'd forgotten the uncomfortable sensation teleportation left in one's stomach._

 _He wasn't quite sure where he was, though he was pretty confident it was southern California from the mountains in the distance. All around him were cookie-cutter houses ranging in color from white to pastel yellows and blues. Tommy could tell the area was new – some of the homes in the cul-de-sac were still under construction._

" _Tommy?"_

 _He tensed up at the sound of his name and slowly turned to face the owner of the voice he knew so well._

 _Kimberly stood on the porch in a purple tank top and acid-wash shorts. Her chestnut locks fell just past her shoulders, and it seemed that she'd lost a bit of weight since the last time he saw her. At her side stood a small child in camo overalls with curly hair and curious brown eyes. He had one arm wrapped around her left leg while the other clutched a familiar but well-worn stuffed green dragon to his chest. He openly stared at the white ranger as he tucked himself into Kimberly's side._

 _Ryan._

 _Tommy exhaled slowly in an effort to calm down. It felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest._

 _As he approached them, Ryan turned and ran back into the house, and the white ranger frowned in concern._

 _Shit… had he scared him off?_

 _His worry vanished when Ryan reappeared several seconds later with something in his hand. He showed it to Kimberly and then pointed at the white ranger. Kim gave a gentle smile and nodded, fingers running through his hair. The pink ranger chuckled when the little boy began bouncing up and down, excitedly asking her something. She nodded again and turned in Tommy's direction._

 _The white ranger blinked in surprise when the toddler took off running towards him._

" _DADDY!"_

 _His heart leapt into his throat at the word, and he was so overcome with emotion that he dropped to his knees._

'He knows who I am.'

" _DADDY!"_

 _Ryan wrapped his arms around his father's neck when he was within reach and hugged him tight. Tommy held the boy to him just as tightly, something between a laugh and a sob escaping his throat. Through his tears, he could see Kimberly standing a few feet away with a wide smile on her face. Tommy carefully climbed to his feet with his son in his arms._

 _The little boy pulled back and looked at him with a somewhat shy grin. "Hi."_

" _Hi," Tommy croaked. He ran his fingers along the boy's features in wonder._

 _Tommy had seen enough of his own baby pictures to recognize that Ryan looked almost exactly like him at this age. The only differences were the color of his hair and eyes, which matched those of the pink ranger._

" _Where were you, daddy?" he asked with a pout on his face._

 _Tommy licked his lips. "They – I…" He glanced at Kim, who appeared to be holding back a chuckle. "I was working."_

" _Working?" Ryan repeated. He squeezed his stuffed animal when his father nodded. "Are you done now?"_

" _For a while, yes," the white ranger said, voice thick with emotion._

" _Good." The toddler frowned at his father and touched his cheek. "Daddy, you're crying. Are you sad?"_

 _Tommy shook his head. He grabbed Ryan's hand and kissed it. "No… I'm really, really happy."_

" _Oh." Ryan made a face as if what he said made no sense. "You wanna play trains?"_

 _The simplicity of the question made the white ranger laugh, and he hugged Ryan to him again. Tommy kissed his cheek._

" _I'd love to."_

 _An excited Ryan turned to Kimberly. "Mommy, daddy's gonna play trains with me!"_

" _I heard," she said. Ryan squirmed in his father's arms until Tommy set him down. He ran over to Kim and grabbed her hand, pulling her until she stood directly in front of the white ranger. Ryan looked up at them with a wide smile._

 _She brushed her hair behind her ear and looked up at the white ranger. "Hi."_

" _Hey," he whispered._

 _They hadn't seen or spoken to each other in over two years. What was he supposed to say now that she was right in front of him?_

" _Tommy – "_

" _Kim, I – "_

 _They chuckled nervously. Tommy gestured towards her. "You first."_

 _She nibbled on her bottom lip for a few seconds before stepping forward and cautiously pulling him into a hug. Tommy wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders as he held her to him, chin resting on top of her head. Long fingers moved up to tangle in her hair as the tension in his body slowly eased away._

 _For a brief moment, he wondered if he was dreaming again._

 _A thump against their side broke them apart, and they chuckled at the sight of a smiling Ryan hugging their legs._

" _Looks like somebody didn't want to be left out," she teased as she ran her fingers through the boy's curls. Kimberly turned to Tommy. "How are you?"_

" _Scared. Happy. Completely overwhelmed," he said honestly. "You?"_

" _I'm good," she replied. "I'm really, really good."_

 _The white ranger nodded and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry to drop by unannounced like this."_

" _It's fine. Andros actually gave me a heads up about an hour ago."_

" _Of course he did." He licked his lips. "I – "_

" _Come on," Ryan whined. Kim and Tommy turned to look at him, amused by the way he tugged impatiently on their hands._

" _Something tells me we better go or there'll be trouble," the white ranger surmised._

 _Ryan stretched his arms out for Kim to pick him up. "You have no idea," she said._

 _Kimberly smiled and headed for the house with Ryan in her arms, Tommy on her heels. She closed and locked the door once they were inside. The toddler reached for his father, and the white ranger quickly took him from his mother's arms._

" _This way, daddy," Ryan said as he pointed further into the house._

 _The house was quite spacious, with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms that were littered with toys. All of the floors were made of hardwood, and the rooms were decorated with beautiful, expensive furniture._

'Andros wasn't lying when he said Mr. Hart had worked hard to make things up to Kim. He really went all out with this house,' _he realized._

 _Ryan guided the white ranger upstairs to his bedroom where his toys were. As he set the boy on his bed, Tommy took note of the various objects around the room, mentally jotting down what his son liked._

 _Thomas the Tank Engine. Spider-Man. Hot Wheels. Dinosaurs. Airplanes. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles._

 _He took a seat on the nearby rocking chair._

" _Here," the toddler said as he handed Tommy a green train. "You're Percy, okay?"_

 _The white ranger nodded. "And who are you?"_

" _Thomas," the boy replied as if the question was silly. He held up the blue train. "See?"_

" _Right."_

 _The white ranger watched curiously as the little boy began playing with his toys. He would occasionally turn to Tommy and instruct him on what to do, shaking his head whenever his father wouldn't do it exactly the way he wanted. Ryan eventually took the train from Tommy when it was clear he was a lost cause, pulling a snort from the white ranger. The little boy eventually found his way from the bed onto his father's lap as he played with his trains in the space between their legs._

" _Help me! Help me!" Ryan cried as he held up the green train. He lifted the blue one next. "I'll help you, Percy!"_

 _Tommy couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face from watching his son any more than he could stop breathing. Cautiously, he reached out a hand to play with Ryan's hair, earning him an adorable smile from the toddler._

" _Poor guy… hasn't even been an hour and you're already a goner."_

 _Tommy turned to see Kim leaning against the doorjamb. "Can you blame me?"_

" _Hold on, I'm coming! Choo choo!" Ryan called out, one of his trains running up Tommy's thigh. He paused when he saw Kimberly and grinned. "Hi, mommy."_

" _Hey, baby. You having fun?"_

" _Yeah!"_

" _I thought you were supposed to be playing with daddy?"_

 _Ryan shook his head. "He doesn't know how to play trains."_

 _The pink ranger bit back a chuckle. "He doesn't?"_

" _No," he said sadly. The toddler leaned back against his father's chest as he continued playing with his toys. "I show him how to play..." He lifted the trains up. "See?"_

" _I do," she murmured. "Good job."_

 _As Ryan continued acting out a high-stakes rescue operation with his trains, the white ranger locked watery eyes with Kim over their son's head. She furrowed her brow and a worried expression crossed her face._

" _You okay?"_

 _Tommy nodded and pressed a firm kiss to the top of Ryan's head. "For the first time in a long time… yeah, I think I am."_

* * *

"And how are things now?"

The white ranger shrugged. "Seems things turned out all right."

"Hm." More documents from their sessions were put on display. "And what about your goals?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

"Do you feel like they've been achieved?"

He chewed on his bottom lip. "Some of them, yeah."

She was referring to the goals he set for himself at their last face-to-face meeting back on Eltar.

The session had fallen on the night before his trip back to Earth, and the white ranger had been a total wreck. Karone had tried to help him calm down, but his anxiety only transferred to her, making both of them nervous about the next chapter of their lives – him back on Earth and her with the Galaxy rangers.

He hadn't intended on telling Dimitria what was bothering him, but he was desperate for someone to vent to and shared his fears with her. She listened patiently as he rambled on about everything from seeing his son again to being accepted as a member of the Earth team. Once he'd finished, she explained that part of his anxiety appeared to stem from the expectation that he had to deal with everything all at once – an expectation he realized he put on himself. To make it more manageable, she recommended that he do two things – make a list of smaller goals that were easier to attain and allow himself the freedom to reach those goals without a deadline. Willing to try anything, he took her advice and wrote down everything that was important to him.

Making the list reminded him that, above all else, his first priority was fixing what was wrong with him. There was no chance of him being a good ranger or a good father if there was a chance he could fuck things up again.

Initially, progress on that front had been frustratingly slow. Their sessions on Eltar were focused primarily on making sure he wasn't about to go apeshit on anyone, which didn't leave a lot of time to get to the heart of the problem. It was only when he was back on Earth that they were able to begin a deep dive into his issues.

Unfortunately for him, they didn't get very far.

It only took four sessions for Tommy to realize that what they were doing wasn't working. They had made some progress, but it was clear after a while that they'd hit some sort of wall. The answer was close – he could _feel_ it – but for some reason, it was always _just_ out of his reach.

For a while, Tommy considered the possibility that maybe he wasn't meant to know – maybe that was the final part of his punishment for all that he'd done.

Until one day, they _finally_ made a breakthrough… and in a way he never expected it to happen.

* * *

 _ **Dumas Residence**_

 _ **Santa Barbara, CA**_

 _ **Wednesday, 8:53 AM**_

 _ **Two Years, Five Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

" _Thank you again for doing this, mom."_

 _Caroline Dumas shook her head. "Are you kidding me? I love spending time with my grandson."_

 _The toddler in question was lying on the living room floor coloring on a piece of paper with his crayons. His tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated intently on his masterpiece while his bright red Spider-man shoes kicked freely behind him._

" _When do you plan to be back?"_

 _Kim's mom was under the impression they had an appointment to file paperwork to legally declare Tommy as Ryan's father. Truthfully, the paperwork had been filed a week prior when they received the results of the official paternity test, but she didn't know that._

 _Kim turned to look at Tommy who stood quietly on the porch with his hands tucked into his pockets. He shrugged at her questioning gaze. It all depended on how the session went, which was anyone's guess._

" _Hopefully no more than a few hours," she said. "We'll call when we're on our way back."_

 _Caroline nodded, brown eyes trailing over to the white ranger. "Tommy."_

" _Mrs. Dumas," he said in a rush. Tommy quickly averted his gaze to avoid making eye contact._

 _After the end of the war, Kim had returned to Earth with Ryan in search of her parents and brother. Naturally, she had to explain to them who the infant was with her, and more importantly, who his father was. Kim hadn't told him exactly how much detail she'd given about the circumstances around Ryan's conception, but it was clear that her folks weren't happy. Clearly, things must have smoothed over somewhat as it was plain as day that they adored Ryan, but he wasn't quite sure how they felt about him. As far as they were concerned, he was the guy who seduced Kim into cheating on a good guy like Jason, got her pregnant, and then left her to raise their son on her own for nearly three years._

 _Needless to say, he didn't expect a very warm welcome._

" _Nice of you to show up and be a father," Caroline said coldly. "Or do you just plan to stick around to sign your name and leave again?"_

 _Kim rubbed a hand across her forehead. "Mom…"_

" _S'okay, Kim," the white ranger said softly. "You're right, Mrs. Dumas, I wasn't around – but I promise you, I would have been if I could've." He gave a deep sigh. "After the invasion, I was separated from my family and forced to leave Angel Grove. By the time I learned Kim was pregnant, things were already in motion and..." He paused and glanced briefly at Kim. "What's important is that the power rangers helped me find my way back... and I'm grateful."_

 _He knew he couldn't tell the truth, but a highly edited version of it was something he could share._

" _Hm." The ire in the older woman's eyes faded a bit at this. "So you're staying, then?"_

" _I love my son, and I want to be there for him." Tommy looked at Kim with a hopeful expression. "How involved I am in his life – that's something Kim and I have to figure out… together."_

 _Caroline seemed to accept this answer. "Just do right by my daughter and my grandson. Understand?"_

" _Yes, ma'am."_

 _Kim took a deep breath and leaned over to look past her mother into the house. "Ryan, we're leaving!"_

" _Okay!" The toddler got up and ran over to his parents. "Bye, grandma!"_

 _Kim laughed and squatted so she was eyelevel with him. "No, baby. I'm leaving – with daddy. You're gonna stay here with grandma."_

 _Tommy could tell when the little boy really understood what his mother was saying because his face began to crumple up._

" _Unh-unh, no," Kim said. "What's the rule? No crying, okay? We'll be back."_

 _Ryan turned teary eyes to his father, and Tommy damn near caved at the boy's heartbroken expression._

" _You heard what mommy said, Ryan. We'll be back – both of us." He stepped forward and ruffled the boy's hair. "I need you to be good for grandma while we're gone, all right? Can you do that for me?"_

 _Ryan sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Yes."_

" _That's my boy." Tommy scooped him up into his arms. He pressed a series of loud kisses along the boy's cheek and neck until Ryan started giggling. He rubbed a hand along the boy's back to get him to calm down._

" _We'll see you later, buddy, 'kay?"_

 _Ryan nodded, and Tommy set him down on the ground. The toddler gave his mother's leg one last fierce hug before stepping back to stand with his grandmother._

 _The white and pink rangers turned and headed for Kim's car that was parked in the driveway. They waved to Ryan and her mother one last time before driving off down the road. Once they were sure they were out of her mother's sight, they parked the car in a nearby parking garage. The two headed to a secluded corner of the building._

" _Ready?" Tommy asked. She nodded and grabbed hold of his arm, and they teleported out in flashes of pink and white._

 _They rematerialized in a small room with beige carpet, white walls, and a brown leather sofa. Tommy took a seat as he watched Kim walk around the room in wonder. She approached the window and opened the blinds, eyebrows raised in surprise at the view._

" _Um… where are we? 'Cause there's a whole lotta nothing outside."_

" _Pocket dimension 62," he answered. "Once I left Eltar, I needed a way to keep my sessions going. Dimitria's still needed on Eltar and Inquiris, so Andros suggested I build this place to have our meetings across the morphing grid. Alpha helped."_

" _Hm." Kim looked around the room curiously before taking a seat. "So where is she?"_

" _She should be here right about…" Tommy looked at his watch. "Now."_

 _Across from them, a loud crack sounded, followed by the flash of a bright blue light. A holographic image of a woman with long black hair dressed in white looked down at them._

 _Dimitria._

" _Hello, Tommy." She turned to the pink ranger. "And I believe you are Kimberly, yes?"_

" _I…uh… yeah…" Kim ran her fingers through her hair. "Nice to meet you."_

 _Dimitria nodded. "Likewise." She faced the white ranger. "Are we ready to begin?"_

 _Tommy exhaled slowly. "Yes."_

 _He could feel Kim's curious stare on him, but he didn't dare face her. He was already nervous about having her at this session with him – looking directly at her might make him lose his nerve._

 _It'd been Dimitria's idea to have Kim come to one of the sessions. Tommy had been struggling with Lord Zedd's bombshell that he'd been picked to be the green ranger from the very beginning. Knowing that he was picked because there was a darkness that lived within him terrified Tommy to his core. With his new role as the white ranger, he was in constant fear that the same thing could happen again._

 _Dimitria told him the only way to be certain history never repeated itself was to understand it – to get to the root cause of it all._

 _Why did he give in to the temptation for revenge? What made Zedd's power so attractive to him? Why did he choose to stay and commit such heinous crimes?_

 _What was the darkness that Zedd and Rita saw in him?_

 _Over time, Dimitria had noticed that Kimberly frequently came up in their conversations. She had pointed out how the pink ranger seemed to greatly influence his decisions, both in negative and positive ways._

" _Perhaps it may be of value to have Kimberly come here," she had suggested at the end of their last session._

" _What? Why?"_

" _To understand you." The white ranger had pondered this. "I sense the path to some of the answers you're seeking can be found by examining your relationship with her."_

 _He'd mulled over the idea. "You really think it'll help?"_

" _She may be able to help you understand yourself in ways you're incapable of achieving on your own."_

 _Intrigued by this, he asked Kim if she would be willing to go to therapy with him. She'd been stunned at first, unsure why she was even being asked. But after seeing that the white ranger wasn't joking and truly wanted her there, she eventually agreed._

 _Now that she was here, he was wondering if maybe this was a mistake._

" _Tommy, would you like to explain to Kimberly what it is you would like to accomplish here?"_

 _The white ranger frowned at being put on the spot. "Well… I…" He cleared his throat before turning to face Kim. "You know that I started coming here to make sure Zedd's magic was gone so that I could begin my time as the white ranger. We've confirmed that the spell is completely gone but…" He bit his lip. "The spell wasn't the only problem."_

 _Kim raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"_

" _Zedd and Rita picked me to be their green ranger because they knew I could be the kind of soldier they needed. And they weren't wrong…" He took a deep breath as he tried to reign in his emotions. "I did a lot of bad shit, Kim… a good amount of it just because I wanted to." He picked at the cushions. "And a lot of people got hurt along the way." Tommy looked at her. "Some more than others."_

 _The flash of pain in her eyes made him flinch._

" _That part of me that made it so easy to turn my back on everyone I cared about? I wanna fix it. I_ need _to fix it. I can't risk hurting anyone else." He glanced at Dimitria, who watched quietly. "Dimitria thinks you might be able to help."_

" _And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"_

" _By discussing your relationship – openly and honestly," Dimitria answered. "Understanding what happened between you may help us get to the heart of it all."_

 _He felt Kimberly bristle next to him and was unsurprised when she stood up. She was angry and had every right to be – he'd completely blindsided her._

 _When she reached for her communicator, he stood as well and grabbed onto her wrist, drawing her gaze. The white ranger inched closer to her until their bodies were almost flush against one another._

" _I know this isn't what you signed up for," he whispered. "It's gonna suck, and I know I'm asking for a lot… but I would be grateful if you could stay." He gave a soft smile. "Might do both of us some good to talk about what happened, don't you think?"_

 _The pink ranger's nostrils flared for a moment and a tense silence filled the room. "…Okay."_

 _Kim stiffly retook her seat on the sofa. Tommy exhaled slowly and sat down beside her. "Thank you."_

" _I assure you, Kimberly, this really is necessary for us to make progress… for both of you, it would seem," Dimitria said. "Now… let's begin with you, Kimberly."_

 _Dimitria's only request was that he be quiet while Kim talked, allowing the pink ranger to give her take on their relationship without any interruptions. It took a while to get Kim to open up at first, but once she did, the floodgates were opened. He sat in silence as she gave her account of their relationship, stomach twisting up in knots each time a particularly nasty part of their history was exposed._

 _Much of what was said he already knew, but there was one part of the conversation that he hadn't expected._

" _We've discussed how destructive and destabilizing your relationship with Tommy was…but what drew you to him?"_

 _The pink ranger shrugged. "Tommy and I always had a connection. From the day we met – "_

" _I'm not referring to your relationship before he was the green ranger," Dimitria clarified. "After he made his intentions clear, you actively pursued a relationship with him, even while being with someone else."_

 _Kim looked away. "...I did, yeah."_

" _But you knew that your worlds, your lives were in direct conflict with each other. You served as a power ranger, duty-bound to protect the people of Earth. He was a soldier for one of the most reviled regimes in history and made it his personal mission to make your teammates suffer."_

 _Tommy felt Kim grow still beside him._

" _What was it about Tommy that encouraged you to seek him out, even after it became clear that it was a toxic relationship?"_

 _The white ranger glanced at Kim, heart constricting when he saw that she was crying._

" _I thought it was what I deserved," she said after a long pause._

" _In what way?" Dimitria asked._

" _In every way." Kimberly sniffled. "I think… I think I saw it as the chance to do what I was too scared to do before… to be with him." She wiped her eyes and chuckled. "Or at least that's what I wanted to see. Now I think I was punishing myself."_

 _Tommy bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to keep quiet._

 _Kim looked at him with watery eyes. "You hated me for never giving us a chance. I knew it before you were the green ranger, and I knew it when we were together." The pink ranger shook her head. "Maybe that's why I could never really push you away whenever you hurt me… part of me felt like it was what I deserved. For you to hurt me like I kept hurting you."_

" _Do you think he meant to hurt you?" Dimitria asked._

 _Kim kept her gaze locked with Tommy's and gave a pained smile. "Yes."_

 _The white ranger grit his teeth in anger and looked away, a single tear trailing down his face._

 _Dimitria observed the distraught pair silently for several seconds. "I think we're done for today."_

 _Half an hour later, Tommy and Kim found themselves sitting at the kitchen table in her home – her with bloodshot eyes and him with his face in his hands, shoulders slumped. Their session with Dimitria still weighed heavily on them, even now._

 _Tommy was furious. He had wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that it was insane to think he had set out to punish her and that he couldn't believe she'd think he'd do something like that to her._

 _Kimberly sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I uh… I need to freshen up." She cleared her throat. "Ryan's probably crawling up the walls by – "_

" _You really think I wanted to punish you?" the white ranger rasped. "Kim, I loved you."_

" _I know that," Kim said gently._

" _Then you know it's not true!" he growled._

" _Isn't it?" she snapped back. "Didn't you sleep with all those girls and flaunt it in my face because you hated me for choosing Jason over you?" He looked away guiltily. "Didn't you go out of your way to hurt him because you hated that I wouldn't stop dating him for you?" She clenched her fists. "You may have loved me, but us being together wasn't enough to stop you from hurting me, was it?"_

 _The white ranger rubbed his hands over his face._

" _That's always been a part of who you are," she said. "When things don't go your way, you lash out in the way you know will hurt people the most." The pink ranger shook her head. "Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong?"_

 _He exhaled loudly and looked at her, mouth open to tell her just that… until he saw what was in her eyes. Kim truly believed what she was saying, and it was that conviction that gave him pause._

 _His intention wasn't to punish her… he'd just been so frustrated that she wouldn't do what he wanted that he took it out on her again and again._

 _By sleeping with other girls. By going after her in the Youth Center. By endangering the lives of the people she cared about._

 _Bile rose in his throat when he realized that not only did those things make him feel better, but this behavior applied to more than just Kimberly._

 _When Zack called him out for being a bad friend and chasing after the pink ranger, he slept with the black ranger's girlfriend._

 _When Jason left him suffer at the mercy of Rita and Goldar, he made it his mission to make the red ranger's life hell, even when it meant hurting Kim in the process._

 _When Zedd failed to deliver on his promise that all of Tommy's sacrifices would be worth it in the end, he turned on the Emperor and did everything he could to dismantle the empire that Zedd had worked so hard to create._

 _His chest felt tight._

'Is this… is this what Zedd meant? Is this what he saw in me?' _he asked himself._

" _Tommy?"_

 _He looked up at the pink ranger, eyes unseeing. "You're right, Kim."_

" _Huh." She furrowed her brow. "I didn't expect you to actually agree with me."_

" _Zedd knew… he knew who I was –_ what _I was," he continued. "A piece of shit who barely needed to be manipulated into becoming the worst version of myself."_

" _Tommy…"_

" _All he did was give me powers…" He rubbed his face in anguish. "The rest was all me."_

" _Hey." He jumped when he felt a tug at his wrist. Kim took his hand in hers. "Stop it."_

 _The white ranger stared down at their joined hands and narrowed his eyes. "It's the truth."_

" _It's part of it," she corrected. "But we both know you're more than that part of yourself." She rubbed a thumb along the back of his hand. "You showed it when you helped take down Zedd. You show it when you're with Ryan." She smiled softly. "You sometimes even showed it when we were together."_

 _He swallowed thickly at that and curled his fingers around hers._

" _You wanted to figure out what was wrong with you… what was it that made you a target for Zedd… maybe this is it."_

 _The white ranger nodded as he blinked back tears._

" _This is part of who you are – work with Dimitria to understand it better. If this is really what the problem is, you have to learn how not to give into your worst impulse and make the same mistakes again."_

 _He forced out a chuckle and sniffled. "When the hell did you get so smart?"_

 _Kimberly snorted. "You're not the only person who had to learn some hard lessons these last few years."_

 _Tommy looked into her eyes and could see understanding reflected clearly back at him. He cupped his free hand over their joined ones as he struggled to find the right words._

" _Kim, I – "_

 _She smiled gently. "I know."_

* * *

The white ranger grimaced at the memory of that day. It still hurt to think about.

"Tommy?"

He blinked, bringing his attention back to Dimitria. "Hm?"

"I asked which goals do you feel you've achieved so far?"

"Oh." He scratched along the base of his neck. "Well, the main one of course. I mean, it's still a work in progress, but figuring my shit out was at the top of the list. I'm happy where things are right now."

Once they were able to pinpoint what the issue was, he and Dimitria worked on ways to attack the problem head-on. He learned more about himself than he ever thought possible, and while it wasn't particularly enjoyable to dive into such an ugly part of himself, it was ultimately what needed to be done.

More scribbling was heard. "Anything else?"

Tommy picked at the cushion beneath him for a few seconds as he considered her question. "Building relationships."

That was one thing the white ranger had been particularly worried about when returning to Earth. Karone and Andros were the only people he really had any contact with over the last few years, and neither would be with him as he began a new life on Earth. That left him with only two options – build relationships with new people or try and reconnect with the people he already knew.

On the plus side, no one outside of the rangers, Cruger, and Alpha 5 knew the true identity of the green ranger, so his past wasn't something they could judge him by. The downside to this was that not knowing the person he was before he came to Earth made it hard for him to really connect with anyone. There were so many experiences he'd gone through that shaped him into the man he was today, and unless the person was part of it or he shared details with them, they would never be able to fully understand him.

Still, something was better than nothing, so he tried to make friends as best he could. Strangely enough, Alpha 5 turned out to be someone he became very close to. It was initially quite awkward given that he was responsible for killing the automaton's longtime friend, but Alpha was sympathetic to Tommy's situation and went out of his way to engage the white ranger in conversation. Over time, his talks with Alpha became a highlight of his day, and a strong friendship developed between the two.

"Alpha's been a good friend," the white ranger said softly. "I don't know if I'd have been able to reach out the way he did if our situations were reversed… but I'm glad. His support has meant so much to me."

In particular, he was thinking of what Alpha had done nearly three ago months ago.

"Because of him, I found Sam and David… I can't thank him enough."

They'd spoken about the loss of friends and family countless times, including the difficult loss of Tommy's parents. Alpha, in an effort to help the white ranger, searched for any other members of Tommy's family who may still be alive. Through his search, he found that Tommy's relatives, Sam and David Truehart, as well as several other distant relatives, were alive and well on the Cahuila reservation.

Tommy had been so overjoyed at the news that he teleported there without thinking, eager to see anyone from his family after so long. Sam and David were surprised but happy at his sudden appearance and were ultimately grateful to learn that he was alive. After exchanging updated contact information, Tommy began taking regular visits to see them. He wasn't as close to them as his mother was, but with the sobering realization that he didn't have much family left, he was determined to change that.

Of course, it wasn't the same as having his parents there – in particular his mother – but it still made a world of difference to know he had family around.

"And what about the others?" Dimitria asked. "Your son and his mother were also on your list."

Tommy couldn't help the grin that crossed his face at the thought of his son.

After Ryan's exuberant welcome the day he arrived on Earth, any fear Tommy had about connecting with him quickly disappeared. Ryan was still very young, so just having his father around to play with was more than enough reason for the toddler to bond with him. It was clear the boy absolutely adored his father, and Tommy certainly felt the same. He cherished every moment he spent with his son – he only wished he could spend more time with him.

That, of course, was directly tied to Tommy's relationship with the pink ranger.

Working things out with Kim had proven quite difficult in the beginning. It wasn't that she was cold to him – she was actually quite gracious all things considered – but there was distance between them. Their painful history hung over them like a dark cloud, preventing them from having the same level of closeness they once shared and her from completely trusting him with their son.

Thankfully, their first session with Dimitria created a definite shift between them, and the subsequent sessions created a space for them to be honest with each other in a way they weren't able to when they were younger.

With time, the tension between them had eased to the point where they were finally able to forge a genuine relationship as co-parents.

* * *

 _ **Hart Residence**_

 _ **Pasadena, CA**_

 _ **Thursday, 2:23 PM**_

 _ **Two Years, Eight Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

 _The white ranger carefully pushed the front door to the house open._

" _Kim!" he called out kicking off his shoes. It looked like the power was out. "Kimberly, I'm here!"_

" _Daddy!"_

 _Tommy braced himself as thirty pounds of energy came straight for him. He crouched down to scoop up the toddler wearing his dinosaur pajamas._

" _Hey, little man. I heard you weren't feeling so good."_

 _Ryan shifted in his arms then, cuddling further into his father's embrace. Tommy nudged the door closed and locked it before cupping the back of his son's head._

" _Where's mommy?" he asked, pressing a kiss to his son's temple._

" _Right here." Kim stepped out from the hallway and walked over to them. The floral sundress she wore stopped at the middle of her thighs, and her hair was down today. Her tone was cheery, but Tommy could see the stress of the last few days on her face and body._

 _Thunder roared across the sky, scaring the toddler. He buried himself further into his father's chest._

" _It's okay, it's okay," he murmured in Ryan's ear. "I got you."_

 _Kim smiled sympathetically and rubbed a hand up and down the little boy's back. It was a well-known fact that Ryan hated thunderstorms. They were rare in their part of southern California, but when they happened, it put the boy in a bad mood. Under normal circumstances, Kim could get him to calm down on her own, but coupled with his ear infection, this storm was bad enough that the child had been insistent that both of his parents be with him._

" _I just gave him his medicine," Kim murmured. "He should be ready to take his n-a-p soon."_

 _The white ranger nodded, heading back to her bedroom with Kim only a few steps behind. "All right, Ryan, wanna lay down with daddy?"_

 _The child nodded against his father's chest, eyes already half-closed. Tommy sat down on the bed and lay back so that Ryan lay along his torso. Kim handed him the green dragon stuffed animal, and he grinned when the little boy clutched it tightly._

" _You want daddy to read you a book?" she asked. The child rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Okay, how about Thomas, would you like that?"_

 _Tommy bit back a groan. He'd read Thomas the Tank Engine to Ryan enough times that he could say the words by heart, but the boy acted like it was a brand new story every damn time. He sighed and took the book from Kimberly with a glare._

" _All right," he said, trying his best not to sound annoyed. "You ready?"_

 _By the time they made it to the end of the book, Ryan was down for the count. Kim picked him up, taking him to his room next door with Tommy following close behind. Ryan whined softly when she laid him down on his bed._

" _Shh, shh… it's okay," Tommy whispered. He ran a hand through his son's curly locks. "Go back to sleep."_

 _The toddler eventually quieted and rolled over onto his stomach. Tommy rubbed his back in wide circles, lulling him back into a deep sleep. The white ranger couldn't hide his grin when he saw his son's mouth was wide open, a bit of drool already forming._

 _God, he slept just like him._

 _Quietly, the two adults made their way out of the small bedroom, leaving the door cracked. Tommy stood awkwardly as Kim walked around the living room lighting candles._

" _So uh… he's asleep," Tommy said, fingers sliding through his hair. "I guess I'll take off?"_

 _Kim shot him an incredulous look. "You're seriously going to go driving in that?"_

 _As if to emphasize her point, a strong gust of wind hit the house, rattling the windows. The white ranger grimaced._

" _Well…"_

" _Don't be stupid. Just stay – at least until it clears up a bit," she said, lighting the final candle on the coffee table. "You can help me in case he wakes up too early from his nap. It's been hell trying to get him back to sleep when he's like this."_

 _Knowing Kimberly well enough to know arguing was a losing battle, he sighed and took a seat on the couch. He peeled off his jacket and set it on the armrest, leaving him in a red tank top and baggy jeans. Kim joined him on the couch._

" _I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. Things got kinda crazy on Edenoi. Our signals got blocked by a solar storm, and the transmission didn't go through until it passed."_

 _She waved a hand. "You came when you got it – that's what matters."_

" _How bad is it?"_

 _She bit her lip. "Well, the doctor said ear infections are normal for his age. The hardest part was breaking his fever – that only happened this morning, and it's been a little touch and go. Once we get through that, it's just a matter of getting him to take the antibiotics."_

 _The white ranger ran a hand over his face. "I just wish there was something else I could do. I hate seeing him hurting like this. I feel so…"_

" _Helpless?" she supplied. He nodded in agreement. "You can take down a monster in your sleep, but your powers can't help you keep your baby from suffering." Kim bumped his leg with hers. "Trust me, I get it."_

 _A soft smile spread across his lips because he knew she did._

" _How are you holding up?" he asked softly._

" _Me?" She chuckled dryly. "I'm fine. Ryan's the one who's sick."_

" _Yeah, but you're his mother," he said. "I was scared out of my mind when I got your message – I can only imagine how it was actually being here."_

 _Kim looked away from him. "Yeah."_

" _Hey." He frowned and nudged her leg. "You can be honest with me, Kim… you know that."_

" _It was scary," she admitted after a long stretch of silence. "Ryan's always so happy and energetic… to see him like that just… it broke my heart." She exhaled deeply. "Luckily, mom was around to help me keep my head straight. She'd been through the same thing before with my brother – told me it was common with little kids." She gnawed on her bottom lip. "My mind kept going to the worst possible scenario, so it was a relief to know I had nothing to worry about."_

 _He reached over and pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad she was able to be there for you," he whispered._

" _Me too." The pink ranger sniffled. "So… the mission was a success?"_

 _Tommy shrugged as he ran a hand up and down her arm. "As far as I know. Cruger only needed me to assist with protecting the citizens on the south side of the city. I haven't been called back yet, so I guess things are okay. Zack and Trini haven't called for backup yet."_

" _That sounds promising."_

" _Let's hope so. If everything checks out, I should be back on Earth for at least the next three months."_

 _Andros had mentioned maybe needing the white ranger's help with a side mission in the coming months to handle a rising faction on KO-35. He had his fingers crossed that things would get resolved without requiring his involvement._

 _Tommy leaned back into the plush cushions. "I definitely want to spend that time with Ryan… if you're okay with that, I mean."_

 _She sat up and furrowed her brow. "Why wouldn't I be?"_

 _He pulled at the ends of a nearby throw pillow. "Well, I know with everything that's happened, I'm not exactly at the top of your list of people but – "_

" _Tommy…" A hand on his chest stopped his train of thought. "Yeah, you were pretty much a total asshole when everything started, but I can see that you're really trying now. You're doing good work as the white ranger, and you've been going to therapy to work through your issues, not just for yourself but for our son, as well." She played idly with the collar of his shirt. "I think you've earned the right to spend time with him."_

 _Tommy swallowed the lump in his throat, relieved to hear her words. "Thank you," he whispered._

 _He placed his hand on top of hers, thumb rubbing along the backs of her fingers. She smiled brightly in return. The white ranger leaned back against the sofa and sighed. Kim sat back and mimicked his actions, head turned in his direction._

" _Thank you again for coming."_

 _He scoffed and bumped her leg with his. "You don't have to thank me, Kim. I'd be here no matter what."_

 _She sighed and ran her hands over her face. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come when you did… he'd been crying for you for nearly an hour."_

 _He perked up at this. "Really?"_

" _Yeah."_

 _Tommy wasn't quick enough to hide the smile that formed from the pink ranger._

" _What's got you so pleased?"_

" _Oh nothing, just…" He picked at the stitching in his pants. "…I guess we know who his favorite is now."_

 _He was barely able to brace himself for a throw pillow colliding with the side of his head. He saw her reaching for a second pillow and waited until she was mid-toss before grabbing it. She refused to let the pillow go and was pulled on top of him. The two struggled for nearly a minute before Kim dug her fingers into his side, causing him to yelp and release his hold._

 _The pink ranger smacked him upside the head. "Ass."_

 _Tommy snickered and pulled the pillow onto his lap. Kim shook her head and rolled her eyes._

 _She rose to her feet. "Come on, then, Mr. Favorite. Help me pick up these toys."_

 _The white ranger groaned loudly before rising to his feet as well. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming… bossy."_

* * *

"Things with Ryan are great," he said after a long pause. "I honestly never thought I could love someone so much, but he proves me wrong every day."

Being Ryan's father was the greatest feeling in the world. To know that this beautiful, smart, funny little boy was his son was overwhelming sometimes.

"And Kim…" He frowned as recent events played through his mind. "We've found a way to come together and do what's best for our son."

Dimitria nodded and scribbled down some notes. "What about your relationship with your team?"

"My team?" he repeated.

"Yes, the other rangers and Commander Cruger."

"Well, Cruger… he's all right. Not the friendliest guy but I've dealt with worse." Tommy shrugged. "He's a strong commander. Haven't found a reason yet not to trust him."

"That's a big change from your initial impression of him," she noted.

"Only because he was a massive dick when we first met," the white ranger said defensively. "I was well within my right not to like him given how he treated me."

Commander Anubis "Doggy" Cruger was the definition of a hardass. A decorated officer in the Eltarian army, Cruger was a strict but fair leader. He was next in line to be Supreme Commander of Space Patrol Delta, but given his history with Zordon, he agreed to a temporary leave from SPD in order to mentor the Earth team until a permanent replacement could be found.

Things started off horribly between them when Tommy, surprised to see that Cruger looked like a man-sized blue dog, curiously asked what planet he came from. With a growl, Cruger informed him he was from the planet Sirius, which was destroyed by General Gruumm by order of Lord Zedd.

Things only continued to go downhill from there.

Despite already proving to Ninjor, Dulcea, and The Eltarian Council that he was worthy of his white ranger powers, Cruger still didn't completely trust him. He had to complete mandatory one-on-one training sessions with the commander before even being allowed to train with his teammates, a fact that frustrated the hell out of the white ranger. Tommy did as instructed, however, obediently participating in seven grueling combat sessions against the Shadow Ranger, Cruger's morphed form. It mainly amounted to him exercising godlike levels of self-control as Cruger kicked the shit kicked out of him for hours at a time.

In their final battle, a bruised and exhausted Tommy struggled to get to his feet after a vicious attack from the commander. His limbs had burned something fierce, and he found it difficult to breathe, but he'd refused to yield. The Sirian had demorphed and approached the wounded white ranger with a stern expression and, in a move that had Tommy questioning whether or not he was suffering from a concussion, Cruger had extended a hand for him to shake.

" _We're done with your training," he said as he pulled Tommy to his feet. "Now it's time for you to join the others."_

To this day, Tommy wasn't sure what it was that caused Cruger to change his mind about him, but they hadn't had any issues since.

"How about the rangers?" She pulled up a file from one of his previous sessions. "You mentioned before that you didn't know if you could trust them. Has that changed?"

"It has," he said. "I don't think I've been forgiven for all that I've done – or if I ever will be – but we're at a place now where I know they'll have my back on the field."

With the Dark Empire gone, there weren't many missions they had to go on, so most of their time together was spent training in the pocket dimension. Cruger believed they had to remain vigilant, even in this time of peace, so their training schedule was quite rigorous.

Whether they wanted it or not, the long hours and painful injuries forged a bond between the six. They bled, sweat, and cried together in those hellish sessions, forced to put aside their differences and rely on each other to make it through them.

Looking back on it now, perhaps _that_ was Cruger's true intention all along.

"And the comradery? Have you been able to establish it with your fellow rangers?"

"Some more than others." Tommy glanced at his watch again. "Kim and I have the best relationship out of everyone since we have Ryan. Billy and Trini are… cordial. They don't go out of their way to talk to me, but they aren't outright rude either."

"I see." Dimitria continued taking notes. "How about the black ranger? Your relationship with him was rocky even before you became the green ranger."

"I don't think Zack and I will ever be friends… but we do respect each other," he said softly. "He's a good fighter, a good teammate, and my son's favorite uncle… maybe that's enough for us."

"Hm. And the red ranger?"

Tommy ran a hand over his face. "That's a little more complicated."

* * *

 _ **Stone Canyon Park**_

 _ **Stone Canyon, CA**_

 _ **Sunday, 9:53 AM**_

 _ **Two Years, Five Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

" _LOOK OUT BELOW!"_

 _Tommy was barely able to register the warning shout before he was slammed hard into the ground, Kim and Ryan splayed on top of him._

" _We got you, daddy!"_

" _You did." He spat out the sand that found its way into his mouth. "Ow."_

 _Today was supposed to be a simple trip to Kim's father's house down in Stone Canyon, but they made the mistake of driving past the park in full view of their two-year-old. Ryan's heartfelt request to go play outside pulled at Tommy's heartstrings, and with a roll of her eyes, the pink ranger had redirected their vehicle to the parking lot near the playground._

" _Come on, baby. We need to get off of daddy," Kim said through a chuckle as she climbed to her feet. Ryan did as she asked and moved off of his father._

 _The white ranger rolled onto his back so that he was able to look at them. The sight of their smiling faces looking back at him made him momentarily forget the pain he was in._

" _Mommy, can I go on the swings now?"_

" _Of course. Who do you want to push you?"_

" _Hmm… Mommy!" he said pointing at her. He turned to his father. "And daddy!"_

" _You want both of us to push you?" she asked. Ryan nodded. "All right. Let's help daddy up."_

 _Ryan grabbed his father's hand and tugged hard, using all of his strength to pull him to his feet. Tommy snickered at the boy's efforts. He climbed to his feet with exaggerated ease._

" _Wow! You're getting so strong, Ryan!"_

 _The grin on his son's face warmed his heart._

" _Let me see your muscles." Ryan held up his arms and flexed with pride. Tommy squeezed his little biceps in false amazement. "Whoa!"_

" _Any stronger and he'll give me a run for my money!"_

 _The trio turned to see a grinning Zack Taylor standing by the nearby picnic table wearing a purple tank top and black basketball shorts. Jason sat next to him on top of the picnic table in faded jeans and an old AGHS gym shirt._

" _UNCLE ZACK!"_

 _Ryan ran full speed towards the black ranger, who quickly scooped the toddler up into his arms. He tossed Ryan into the air over and over again, pulling high-pitched squeals from the little boy. Kim and Tommy made their way over to them, his hand at the small of her back. The white and black rangers gave a nod in greeting over Ryan's head._

 _Tommy didn't expect to see them at the park, though he shouldn't have been surprised. Jason and Zack were always at the park back when they lived in Angel Grove. Now that they lived in Stone Canyon, he should've guessed the two roommates would make the local park their new hangout._

 _Zack turned his attention to the toddler. "Aww, I missed you, buddy! You've been good?"_

 _Ryan nodded. "Yeah." He looked around Zack to the red ranger. "Hi, Uncle Jason!"_

 _Jason smiled and playfully squeezed the boy's foot. "Hey, little man."_

" _Uncle Zack, can you push me on the swings?"_

" _What? I thought you wanted me and daddy to do it?" Kim asked, hands on her hips. "You can't have three people pushing you, Ryan."_

 _Tommy could see his son struggling how to fix this self-created problem, so he decided to give the boy an out._

" _How about this? Mommy and Uncle Zack will push you on the swings, and I'll play with you on the monkey bars when you're done." Tommy held his hand up for a high five. "Sounds good?"_

" _Yeah!" the toddler said excitedly as he slapped his hand against his father's. He squirmed in Zack's arms until the black ranger put him down. Ryan then grabbed Zack and Kimberly's hands and tugged them towards the swings._

" _That kid's got us all wrapped around his little finger… Won't be long until he figures out how to play us."_

 _Tommy tensed at the red ranger's voice, mentally cursing that he and Jason were now alone._

" _Yeah…"_

 _An awkward silence lingered over them. It was the first time the two were alone together since Tommy's return to Earth. The last time he'd seen Jason was during Cruger's introduction of him as the sixth member of the Earth team a few weeks ago._

 _The white ranger cleared his throat. "Jason – "_

" _Tommy – "_

 _They chuckled nervously as they spoke over each other. Jason gestured for him to go first, and Tommy took a seat on the table next to him._

" _Didn't expect to see you guys here."_

 _Jason shrugged. "Sometimes it's nice to just be outside."_

" _Yeah." Another awkward silence stretched between them, and Tommy scratched the back of his neck._

 _He was a little embarrassed to admit that, while mending things with the red ranger was on his list of goals, it wasn't really something he had put much effort into yet. And now that he was here, all Tommy could think about was how everything between them had gone so damn wrong._

 _He thought about apologizing, but that didn't feel right. With the way things ended up and not talking for over two years, an apology felt disingenuous. But he couldn't just leave things the way they were, could he?_

" _Leave it alone, Tommy."_

 _The white ranger blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts. "What?"_

" _I can see it all over your face." Jason glanced at him then sighed. "You don't have to force small talk, man."_

 _Tommy laughed. "Sorry, it's just – "_

" _Awkward?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _You expected it not to be?"_

" _Don't know what I was expecting if I'm being totally honest," the white ranger murmured._

" _Hm."_

 _Tommy turned his attention to Ryan, who was across the park squealing each time Zack pushed him in the swing. Kim stood off to the side with a wide grin as she watched the toddler go high in the air._

" _Ryan's a great kid," the red ranger said._

 _A grin crept across Tommy's face. "Yeah, he is," he agreed softly. "Never thought someone could become my whole world in such a short amount of time."_

 _A flash of pain crossed the red ranger's face. "Yeah."_

 _Tommy frowned at this and turned to him. "Thank you."_

 _Jason raised an eyebrow. "For?"_

" _Kim told me how you helped out with Ryan while I was away… how you stepped up with him. I know that couldn't have been easy for you."_

" _It wasn't," he confessed. "But I couldn't allow myself to abandon him, not after seeing what the future could be because of it." He rubbed his hands over his jeans. "Hurt like hell… but Ryan made it worth it."_

 _Guilt burned in the white ranger's chest. "Jase…"_

" _You're not sorry, so don't apologize."_

 _Tommy clenched his fists, irritated because the red ranger was right. He wasn't sorry – not about anything that led to him being here with his son._

" _Just do right by Ryan and Kim, and we'll call it even."_

 _The white ranger stared out across the playground where Kim stood grinning as Zack push Ryan on a swing. He couldn't picture what his life would be like without Kim or Ryan, and he would do whatever was necessary to make sure he'd never have to find out._

" _Deal." He picked at the hem of his shorts. "So where do we go from here?"_

" _Don't really know. We're not friends. I'm not sure we'll ever be friends again," he said bluntly. He glanced at the white ranger. "But we are teammates… and I don't hate you anymore." He shrugged. "Let's see where things go from there."_

 _Tommy nodded. He could live with that. He wasn't exactly clamoring to be Jason's friend again – deep down, part of him still felt some resentment towards the red ranger for what happened. He would have to work through those issues first before ever considering to renew their friendship._

" _Jason?"_

 _Tommy and Jason turned at the voice behind them. A young woman around their age stood on the other side of the picnic table. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and was quite pretty._

" _Emily! H-Hey!"_

 _Tommy raised an eyebrow at Jason's cheerful demeanor – partly because of how abrupt the change was, but mostly because it seemed genuine._

" _Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I saw you from across the park and wanted to ask you something."_

" _It's no trouble at all."_

 _Tommy could see the tips of Jason's ears turning red. Holy shit, was he blushing?_

 _The woman looked at the white ranger curiously. "Friend of yours?"_

" _Oh… Emily, this is Tommy. Tommy, this is Emily."_

 _The white ranger gave a wave, silently noting that Jason did not confirm he was a friend. "Hello."_

" _Hi." She cleared her throat and turned back to Jason. "So, this Saturday… is it possible to push our date back an hour? Ernie needs me to pull an extra shift at the Brainfreeze since he'll be shorthanded."_

" _Yeah, that's no problem at all," the red ranger said quickly. "I'll uh… I'll pick you up then."_

" _Great." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "I'll see you at 8." She smiled at the white ranger. "Nice to meet you, Tommy."_

" _You, too."_

 _He waited until she was gone before turning to Jason with a curious expression. Jason was able to ignore his persistent stare for all of ten seconds._

" _What?" he barked defensively._

 _Tommy lifted his hands. "I didn't say a word."_

 _The white ranger could see the red flush around the base of Jason's neck. It was so weird to see him like this… but at the same time, oddly comforting. His lips curled as he struggled not to smile._

" _Dude, what?"_

 _Tommy shook his head. "Nothing, man… just happy for you."_

 _Jason raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really?"_

" _Really," he said, surprised by how much he meant it._

 _Jason was by no means his favorite person, but he could admit that the red ranger lost more than most during the war. It was only fair that Jason also got the chance to make a fresh start like him and Kimberly. Granted, he wasn't sure how much stock he'd put in a successful relationship between a ranger and non-ranger, but that was for Jason to figure out._

 _And honestly, with how fucked up things got between the three of them, it was nice to see at least one of them taking a chance at love again._

 _The red ranger appeared momentarily speechless. "Thanks."_

 _The two men turned towards the others who were still playing on the swings, the silence between them considerably less tense than before._

* * *

"Jason and I have reached an understanding, so to speak," Tommy said. "We know where we stand with each other."

"Is there still animosity between the two of you?"

"Well, yeah, of course… we screwed each other over pretty badly," he admitted. "Gonna take more than a few conversations to get past that."

"Do you think you'll reach that point?" she asked. "Where the two of you will have moved beyond your pain?"

The white ranger only shrugged, unsure how to answer her question. He and Jason didn't outright hate each other anymore, but he didn't know much beyond that.

More scribbling was heard. "Let's talk about your time as the white ranger." Several of his files were displayed. "Do you feel comfortable in that role now?"

"Surprisingly so," he murmured. "Sometimes I still find it all hard to believe."

When he first revealed himself to the public as the white ranger, Tommy had been a nervous wreck. He knew it was silly – no one knew he was the green ranger – but the fear remained that someone would figure it out and confront him.

His anxiety disappeared when, after saving some construction workers from a near fatal accident in downtown Sacramento with the white tigerzord, he heard faint yelling from outside. Curious as to what the commotion was, he exited his zord to see what was going on and was greeted by thunderous applause. Hundreds of people had apparently gathered around to see him in action, and from the star struck look in their eyes, they were more than impressed.

It was strange to see awe and adoration in the eyes of the same people who only a few years before were terrified of him. He didn't feel worthy of their admiration, but he also couldn't deny that it felt pretty damn good after being hated for so long.

That conflict finally came to rest nearly a month ago when he saw his son dressed in white ranger pajamas. Knowing that his son idolized him without knowing the truth of who was behind the mask had warmed his heart. Being a hero to his son meant more to him than he thought possible, and it turned out to be the final push he needed to fully embrace being the white ranger.

"You said in one of our previous sessions that being the white ranger sometimes felt like a curse… like the Great Power was torturing you by putting you in a position to help the people you terrorized." She paused. "Do you still feel that way?"

Tommy frowned as he considered her question. "If you're asking whether or not I still feel guilty about the things I did while I was the green ranger, then the answer is yes. I'll never be able to make up for all of it, so yeah… being the white ranger kinda feels like a kick to the nuts." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I also see the way people react to me when I'm in my suit. They aren't afraid of the white ranger. He makes them feel safe and protected… it's the same way my son looks at me whenever I'm with him." He smiled softly. "It's the best feeling in the world."

"And why is it the best feeling?" she asked. "Is it because it makes you feel better about yourself?"

He shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie and say it doesn't. I've always had an ego… but it's more than that." He paused as he searched for the right words. "It's nice that they feel that way about me, but it's more important that I'm able to make them feel that way." Tommy frowned. "I don't' know if I'm making any sense."

She tilted her head to the side. "I believe I understand." He could hear the soft scratch of writing coming through on her end. "Having the ability to invoke a feeling is more meaningful to you than being the one the feeling is directed at. In this particular situation, you find more value in being able to make others feel safe than necessarily being the one they go to for protection."

"Exactly."

More scratches were heard before all of the files disappeared. "On to our last topic…"

A single image popped up of his saber.

"Saba."

"Saba," Dimitria repeated. "You were having some difficulty working together in the beginning, but lately you haven't brought up any problems. Does this mean you've worked things out?"

The white ranger sighed. "It's gotten… easier."

His relationship with his saber – words he never thought he'd ever say, even as a power ranger – was complicated. _It had been in the middle of a training session with Billy that he'd come to learn of the existence of Saba. They were trying to figure out how to assemble the mega tigerzord, and someone had interrupted to provide some helpful advice._ Tommy had freaked out when he realized the voice was coming from his saber and threw it down with a yelp, scaring Billy.

" _Well… that wasn't very nice."_

 _The two rangers watched in amazement as the saber began to float on its own. The tiger-like face that Tommy thought was just for aesthetics was now moving as it spoke, eyes bright red._

" _Ah, much better." The saber turned to face the white ranger. "I think it's time I properly introduce myself to you, Tommy Oliver. My name is Saba."_

It took Tommy a long time to get used to having a partner – actually, he was still getting used to it. As the white ranger, he was still kind of off doing his own thing most of the time, so it was an adjustment having someone constantly at his side. Once he got over the weirdness of having a talking weapon, he was angry to learn that Ninjor had given him what he felt was a babysitter. Saba's suggestions felt like thinly-veiled criticisms to the white ranger, making it difficult for him to listen to the saber.

"What changed?" Dimitria asked.

"Got some good advice."

 _After a particularly terrible training session, Tommy left to brood in a far corner of the pocket dimension. The pink ranger followed him, taking a seat next to the pouting white ranger._

 _"If you're here to chew me out, don't," he growled. "I've had enough of being told off."_

 _"Is that what you think Saba was doing?"_

 _"You don't?" he asked, eyebrow raised._

 _The pink ranger was quiet for some time as she considered his question._

 _"What I think... is that the white ranger is the most powerful ranger we have on our team, and it would be a shame if he never reached his full potential because of a bruised ego." Tommy looked away at this. "You're smart, Tommy, and you're a damn good fighter… but there's a lot about your new powers you still don't know. Saba does."_

 _"Okay, yeah, maybe… but I don't need someone watching me all the – "_

 _"Does it really matter, Tommy?" she asked, cutting him off. "Who gives a shit if Saba's been sent to monitor you? You're one of the good guys now – you should have nothing to hide. What's important is what you can learn from him that could make you a better ranger."_

 _He frowned, hating that she was right. Kim reached over then and gently squeezed his arm._

 _"So stop being a grump and get your ass back over there. We still have training to get through, and I refuse to get yelled at by Cruger because of you."_

Her words did the trick, pushing the white ranger to make a genuine effort to work with and listen to Saba. They got along much better now, and he could grudgingly admit that the saber had taught him a few things he never would've figured out on his own.

He'd never tell him that, though.

"Once I got out of my own head, things have been good. Not great… but it's better."

"That's very good, Tommy. You'll need Saba to access your full strength as the white ranger."

"Hm."

The room was filled with the sound of Dimitria's writing for several seconds before the image of Saba disappeared.

"All right. It seems we're done," she said. "Now as you know, today's session will only account for a portion of the progress report. I will still provide the transcripts of our previous sessions and my own evaluation of you, but this is your chance to say anything you feel may be important to include. Is there anything else you wish to share today, Tommy?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

Dimitria nodded. "Very well. You're free to go."

Tommy exhaled slowly and ran his hands over his face. He glanced at his watch – he still had a little under an hour. "Great."

"May I ask what's wrong?" Dimitria asked softly. "You seem troubled."

The white ranger grimaced. "Ryan's birthday is today."

"Oh!" Her eyes narrowed. "My understanding is that is a celebratory occasion on Earth?"

"It is," he said. "I'm just nervous is all."

Her eyes softened. "From what you've told me about your son, simply having you there is more than enough for him. It will be fine, Tommy."

"Ryan's not the reason I'm nervous." He frowned. "It's Kimberly."

"But the two of you have been getting along lately. Did something change?"

He gnawed on his bottom lip for some time. "If I told you… you wouldn't include this in the report, right?"

She shook her head. "The content of the report is limited to what we discussed earlier. This would be considered outside of that scope."

"What about the next one?"

Dimitria hesitated before answering. "If it is relevant to your progress as the white ranger or to the well-being of the team, I am obligated to report it."

The white ranger crossed his arms over his chest, frown deepening.

"You are not required to share the details of your personal life with me, Tommy. I am simply offering the chance to talk if you would like."

He looked away as he debated what to do. He was pretty sure that any mention of him and Kimberly would be recorded and automatically set off red flags with Cruger given how everything went down between the first time.

He didn't want that kind of scrutiny.

But on the other hand… he _really_ needed to talk to someone about this. Kim would've been his first option, but that wasn't possible for obvious reasons. Andros and Karone were unreachable, Alpha 5 wouldn't quite understand the complexity of the situation, and there was no way in hell he was sharing with Saba.

He glanced at Dimitria and sighed. _'Dammit.'_

"Tommy?"

"I'll tell you." The white ranger pinched the bridge of his nose. "It happened last week."

* * *

 _ **Oliver Residence**_

 _ **Pasadena, CA**_

 _ **Friday, 7:04 PM**_

 _ **Two Years, Nine Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

" _There's nowhere to run!"_

 _The door to the room burst open._

" _Ahh… I found you!"_

 _Tommy stalked into the bedroom wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, a green tank top, and a green bandana tied around his head._

" _Any last words, Bison?"_

 _Ryan giggled and pushed the oversized captain's hat he was wearing up so that he could see his father. "Hi, daddy!"_

 _Tommy puffed out his chest and pointed at the little boy, forcing himself not to smile. "Daddy isn't here." He smacked a hand against his chest. "I am Ryu, and I've come to take you down!"_

 _Ryan covered his face with his hands and giggled._

 _The white ranger brought his hands to his side, creating a small ball of white energy. He aimed it at his son and then extinguished it, sending out harmless sparks in the boy's direction._

" _HADOUKEN!"_

 _The toddler fell back onto the bed on cue, his tiny body shaking from laughter at his father's antics. Tommy snickered and crawled onto the bed, playfully tickling his son._

 _Through the process of working through their issues with Dimitria, Tommy and Kim were able to reach an agreement to share custody of Ryan. Alpha 5 helped him find an apartment not too far from Kim's house, which allowed her to have Ryan during the week and him on weekends. It was during those weekend stays that Tommy realized Ryan enjoyed watching him play Street Fighter, which led to hours of them play-fighting as the characters from the game around his apartment._

" _All right, buddy… you ready for bed?"_

 _Ryan nodded._

" _My bed or yours?"_

" _Daddy's!" he answered._

"' _Kay." Tommy shifted the pillows around and moved both of them further up on the bed. "Come on."_

 _Ryan crawled on top of his father with practiced ease. The white ranger pressed a kiss to the boy's head as he took up his favorite position along his father's chest. A strong arm held the boy against his torso while the other hand cupped the back of his head, massaging the area at the base of his neck._

" _Daddy?"_

" _Hmm?"_

" _Are we gonna see Uncle Sam and David?" the child asked sleepily._

" _Yep." He pressed another kiss to Ryan's head. "They're really excited to see you and show you all the cool stuff they found on the reservation."_

" _We going to the rest-uh-bay-shun this time?"_

 _The white ranger snickered at the boy's attempt to repeat the word. "Mhm. Everyone's been asking about you – they can't wait to see you again."_

 _Since discovering that many of his mother's relatives out on the reservation were still alive, the white ranger had taken several trips to see them. Sam was the closest to his mother out of all of their relatives being that they were siblings, and the older man often came to Angel Grove to check on the Oliver family. His son, David, was almost a spitting image of Tommy – a testament to how strongly Sandra and Sam favored each other._

 _The white ranger had taken Ryan to the reservation a few times to meet the family, though the first time was the most memorable. Upon seeing David, the little boy had been so confused about who was his father that he'd held onto Tommy's hand the entire time to make sure he didn't lose him._

" _Daddy?"_

" _Hmm?"_

" _Can I wear my Spider-man shoes so I can show David?"_

" _Yes."_

 _Silence filled the room for ten seconds, and Tommy closed his eyes._

" _Daddy?"_

 _The white ranger opened his eyes slowly. "Yes?"_

" _Can I bring my toys, too?"_

" _Some of them, sure."_

 _The room was silent for nearly twenty seconds before…_

" _Daddy?"_

 _Tommy sighed. "Yes, Ryan?"_

" _Can I have some ice cream?"_

 _The white ranger chuckled. "No."_

" _Pease?"_

" _Please", or "Pease" as Ryan liked to say it, was the latest word the child had learned in daycare. Any other time, Tommy would've caved and given in to the toddler, but he knew Kim would kill him if he gave him ice cream so late at night._

"… _go to sleep, Ryan."_

 _One hour and eleven questions later, Ryan lay fast asleep on his father's chest. The white ranger was on the brink of falling asleep himself when the phone rang, jarring him awake._

" _Shit," he hissed. He blindly reached out and grabbed the cordless phone. "Erm… 'ello?"_

" _Did I wake you up?"_

 _He sighed and leaned back into the pillows. "Nah, s'good." He stifled a yawn. "Wazzup, Kim?"_

 _She snickered over the line. "I was just calling to see what time you were heading out tomorrow. You left one of his bags here. I was going to swing by and drop it off before you leave."_

" _Was planning to leave around 6 AM. What's in the bag?"_

" _Change of clothes, extra Pull-ups, his favorite sippy cup, his Spider-man shoes, and a couple of books."_

 _He ran a hand over his face and groaned. "Yeah, I'm gonna need that."_

" _I figured." She paused. "Why are you whispering?"_

" _Oh… because your son is sprawled on top of me like I'm his damn pillow."_

 _This time she laughed outright. "Why is he always my son when he does something you don't like?"_

" _Hm."_

" _And shut up," she continued. "Don't pretend like you don't love every second of your cuddle time with Ryan. You know you do."_

 _The white ranger grinned at that._

" _Stop smiling, loser."_

 _He blinked in surprise. "How did you know?" he asked in wonder._

 _He heard her murmur, "God, you sound just like him," under her breath._

" _Damn." Tommy laughed. "I guess you still know me better than anyone else."_

 _Her end of the line went silent, and he mentally swore. It was an unintentionally intimate comment; and despite being accurate, it clearly wasn't something Kim was comfortable hearing._

" _Yeah… I do," she whispered._

 _His eyes widened, not expecting her answer. Part of him wanted to ask her about it, but he decided not to push his luck._

 _He shifted the phone so that it rested on his shoulder. "Wait… why're you at home? I thought the plan was for you to have a night out."_

 _He heard rustling on the other end. "Something came up."_

" _Is everything okay?"_

" _Yeah." More rustling was heard and then a long sigh. "My date had to be cancelled. Greg had a – "_

" _You had a date?"_

 _The line went silent, and it was then that Tommy realized he'd spoken aloud._

" _Sorry, it's none of my business."_

 _And really it wasn't._

 _So why did his chest feel tight?_

" _No, it's fine. Greg is just… his daughter goes to Ryan's daycare." There was a long pause. "He's asked me out a few times before. Finally decided to give him a chance… just my luck it got cancelled anyway."_

 _He processed this new information carefully. "Why?"_

 _She sighed. "His sitter had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency, so he's watching his daughter for the night and – "_

" _That's not what I was asking," he said in a rush. "Why did you say no until now?"_

" _Oh… well, I wasn't interested. I only agreed to it because Trini was relentless." She exhaled loudly. "She says I need to get back out there… seems to think I'm waiting on – "_

 _His heart skipped a beat when she abruptly cut herself off. "Kim?"_

 _A forced chuckle came through on the line. "Nothing… it's not important."_

" _Kimberly." Still no response. "Waiting on what?" he pressed quietly._

 _The pink ranger was silent for some time. "… just drop it, Tommy," she whispered. "I'll be over in a bit."_

 _The line went dead, and Tommy released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The white ranger felt the familiar flutter of butterflies in his stomach._

'Dammit,' _he thought sourly._ 'This again.'

 _Since his return from training, he and Kimberly had to learn what it meant to be in each other's lives now – for their sake and for Ryan's. Through that experience, he was able to see how much Kimberly had changed. It was in the way she carried herself as a woman, how she cared for their son… in how strongly she supported him as he found his footing again in the world. He admired her, and with each passing day, he found it harder and harder to imagine living a life without her in it._

 _Now he realized, he didn't_ want _a life without her in it._

 _Initially, Tommy thought he'd fallen out of love with her. The burning desire to be with her had long cooled, and he accepted that maybe their time had passed… that It just took waiting for the dust to settle to figure it out._

 _With time, however, he realized his feelings had merely evolved. The toxic, possessive love he felt for her as the green ranger had morphed into a deep appreciation for her as both a friend and the mother of his child._

 _That appreciation grew into loyalty, trust, and becoming so enamored with her that Tommy hadn't realized he was right back at square one until it was too late._

 _He'd fallen in love with her all over again._

 _He tried to fight it – he really did. It was clear as day that Kim wasn't interested in rekindling anything. Outside of therapy, the subject of their past relationship never really came up._

 _Unfortunately for him, his head and his heart weren't on the same page, and now he wanted to kick himself._

 _He wasn't sure what she was going to say at the end of their phone call, but a part of him dared to believe she was going to say she was waiting on him. He mentally scolded himself, knowing that it was much more likely that she stopped herself to keep from saying something that would hurt his feelings._

 _Kimberly wasn't stupid – she had to have picked up on his behavior lately. He tried his best to tone it down, but he was pretty sure he was doing a shit job of it. He would catch himself on the verge of flirting with her or staring just a little too long every now and again, and if he noticed, she must have, too._

 _Carefully, he shifted the toddler off of him onto the bed. Tommy brushed Ryan's errant curls off his face before kissing his forehead gently. With a sigh, he climbed to his feet and stretched._

 _Kimberly would be here in a few minutes._

 _He busied himself by straightening things up around the apartment – namely Ryan's trains and crayons. He'd just finished putting the last crayon back in the box when he heard a soft knock._

 _Tommy headed over and opened the door. Kim stood there in a baby blue tank top, fitted dark blue jeans, and brown gladiator sandals. Her hair was down and messy, and she feebly attempted to straighten it out by running her fingers through it._

 _She looked beautiful._

" _Hey."_

" _Hey," he repeated._

 _They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before the pink ranger cleared her throat._

" _Here." She held up a black backpack. "This should be everything."_

" _Right." He took the bag from her. "Thanks for uh… for coming over so quickly."_

 _She shrugged. "Not like I had anything better to do."_

 _The white ranger frowned. "I'm sorry your plans got canceled."_

" _The night's still young," she teased. "I might call up Aisha – we haven't had a girl's night in a while."_

 _He smiled softly at that._

" _Ryan still asleep?"_

" _Out like a light." He snorted. "You know he tried to get me to give him ice cream before bed?"_

" _Oh did he?" The pink ranger rolled her eyes. "That boy… should've named him Trouble."_

 _Tommy grinned. "Don't worry, I was immune to the puppy dog eyes."_

" _Yeah, this time," she murmured. "Don't let your guard down. He's sneaky."_

 _They stared at each other silently, and Tommy wondered if he should bring up the phone call._

" _Well…" Kim cleared her throat. "I guess I ought to get going."_

 _He ran his fingers through his hair. "Right, right."_

 _As she turned to head out the door, Tommy shook his head, annoyed with himself. He couldn't just leave things awkward between them. Thinking fast, he gently grabbed hold of her elbow. She looked down at his hand and raised an eyebrow._

" _I just…" He licked his lips. "… on the phone… I shouldn't have pushed. It wasn't my place and if I made you feel uncomfortable… I'm sorry."_

 _A look of shock briefly crossed her face at his words before her eyes softened._

" _Why the look of surprise?"_

" _I just wasn't expecting you to apologize is all."_

" _Yeah… I know I wasn't always the best at that in the past," he admitted with a wince._

 _Kim snorted. "No shit." A genuine smile crept across her face. "Thank you… I mean it."_

 _Her smile made his heart beat faster, and he couldn't help the goofy grin he was sporting. The urge to say something stupid was damn near overwhelming, so he nodded instead._

 _She placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. "I'll see you later."_

" _Yeah."_

 _His eyes fluttered closed when soft lips brushed against his cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth. A strong hand reached out and gripped her waist, helping her balance on the tips of her toes._

 _He moved with her when she pulled away, their foreheads touching. The hand at her waist flexed involuntarily, lightly grazing her side. Without thinking, he closed his eyes and leaned forward, lips barely brushing against hers for a few seconds before he pulled back in alarm._

'Crap… why did I do that?'

 _The white ranger began to apologize for acting out of turn, but he paused when he realized_ he _was the one who pulled away, not_ her _. Encouraged by this, he kissed her again, harder this time. His heart skipped when he felt her kiss him back with equal fervor._

 _Tommy broke the kiss and licked his lips, eyes searching her face curiously. "Kim…"_

 _Saying her name seemed to break whatever was between them and she placed her right hand against his chest._

" _I-I have to go," she whispered, her left hand already holding onto the doorknob in a death grip._

 _He backed off and gave her room to move, roughly running over a hand across his face. "Kimberly… "_

 _She opened the door. "Can you drop Ryan off at the time we discussed?"_

 _Tommy debated whether or not he should say something, but the distraught look in her eyes gave him pause._

"… _Yeah," he rasped. "Drive safe."_

 _The door closed with a soft click behind her, and Tommy growled low in his throat. He pressed his head against the door and sighed._

" _Shit."_

* * *

Tommy tapped his foot impatiently against the floor. "Well?"

Dimitria blinked slowly. "Why did you kiss her?"

The white ranger groaned. "I don't know…"

The Inquirian raised an eyebrow. "You don't _know_? Really?"

He remained silent.

Dimitria's stare grew stern. "You do recall that the last time you and the pink ranger were romantically involved, the Earth was nearly destroyed?"

"I'm aware," he said, voice tight.

"Good. Then I will only ask you one more time – why did you kiss her?"

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. "… because I wanted to."

"Shortly after arriving on Earth, you said you didn't have romantic feelings for her anymore. Were you lying?"

"No," he said quickly. "At the time, I really thought that was true."

"So what changed?"

He groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know… this co-parenting thing we're doing has us spending more time together. I guess I just… got wrapped up in being with her again and..." The white ranger groaned. "Cruger's going to kill me."

"He certainly won't be pleased," she murmured.

"So…? What do I do?" he asked.

"What do you _want_ to do?"

He chuckled. "What I _want_ to do and what I _should_ do are very different things." He picked at the stitching in his pants. "I mean, you said it yourself – the last time was a disaster."

"It was…"

He caught the hesitation in her voice. "But?"

"Objectively speaking, most of the reasons for your relationship failing no longer exist. Lord Zedd is gone, you have free will, both of you are older and at different stages of your lives than before, and the two of you share common ground as teammates and parents… these new circumstances may allow for a different outcome."

He perked up at this. "Wait, so you think I _should_ try to – "

"I am _not_ advising you to pursue a relationship with her," Dimitria interrupted. "I'm simply stating that it is not written in stone that things would go poorly if you did."

"Dimitria…" Tommy groaned in frustration. "Can't you just give me a straight answer for once? I told you this because I genuinely need your help. _Please_."

The Inquirian was silent for a long time. "On the matter of whether or not you should pursue a relationship with Kimberly, I can't say. It's not my place to tell you what to do, but I will advise you to _really_ think before doing anything. Your relationship impacts more than just you and Kimberly – you also have your son and your team to consider now."

He winced, fully aware of how terrible he was at thinking beyond himself and his needs the last time around.

"The more important thing, in my opinion, is that you talk to Kimberly. She's part of this, too, and it's imperative that you understand what she wants. Perhaps she feels the same as you, perhaps she doesn't… either way, you need to listen to what she has to say and respect her feelings on the matter." The white ranger nodded. "Open and honest communication has always been a weakness for the two of you in the past, especially with regards to your feelings for each other."

Tommy scratched the back of his neck. "But how do I – "

Loud beeping sounded in the room, signaling the end of their session. The white ranger groaned and sagged back against the cushion. "For real?"

"It seems our time is up," Dimitria said softly. "You asked for my advice, and I gave it. What you do with it is up to you. Good luck, Tommy."

Her hologram disappeared in a flash of white, leaving him by himself.

The white ranger rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "Dammit."

What the hell was he supposed to do?

He'd just reached the point where he didn't feel like Cruger and the rangers hated having him around. If he fucked up with Kim, it would undoubtedly jeopardize his standing on the team. Cruger may tolerate him now, but if the Sirian got wind of him causing trouble, Tommy had no doubt the commander would kick him off the team and send him right back to the Eltarians for a retrial.

He couldn't do that to the team – they depended on him.

Hell, the _future_ depended on him.

The only reason The Eltarian Council even considered letting him live was to prevent his son from becoming The Green Dragon. Getting kicked off the team and possibly sentenced to death because he couldn't keep his hormones in check would be incredibly irresponsible.

' _And some way, somehow, Jen Scotts would find out and murder me,'_ he thought wryly.

And on the off chance that Cruger didn't kick him off the team, he still had to consider the impact this would have on Ryan. Over the last few months, he and Ryan had grown incredibly close. His son meant everything to him, and he knew how much it meant to Ryan to have both of his parents in his life.

What if he and Kim got together and then it didn't work out? Did he really want to put Ryan through the pain of his parents being together just to snatch it away from him?

And what about Kimberly? They were finally – _finally_ – in a good place.

Acting on his feelings could put everything at risk.

' _But is keeping this all to myself really an option? I tried that before, and it totally blew up in my face.'_ He frowned. _'And that certainly doesn't gel with Dimitria's whole open and honest spiel.'_

Tommy sighed and looked at his watch. He was going to be late. "Shit."

He would have to figure this out later – he had a party to get to.

* * *

 _ **Hart Residence**_

 _ **Pasadena, CA**_

 _ **Saturday, 4:39 PM**_

 _ **Two Years, Nine Months after The Fall of the Dark Empire**_

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR RYAN… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

The toddler clapped his hands excitedly as he sat in his mother's lap. "Yay!"

Kimberly moved the cupcake with the large "3" candle closer to him. "Blow out the candle, baby."

Ryan took a deep breath and blew, putting out the small fire. He giggled when his mother pressed kisses to the side of his face. "Good job… now let's cut the cake with daddy."

"'Kay."

Ryan stretched his arms towards his father, allowing Tommy to scoop him up and sit the child on his hip. The white ranger walked over to the chocolate and vanilla marble cake, chuckling at the image of Thomas the Tank Engine looking up at him. He picked up the nearby cake knife and held it out for Ryan to grab the handle just above his larger hand.

"You ready?" The toddler nodded. "All right, here we go."

As they began to cut the cake, a large flash went off, nearly blinding the white ranger. He looked up to see Caroline standing there with a Polaroid camera, tears streaming down her face as her husband, Pierre, and son, Kenny, comforted her. Next to them stood Sam, David, Billy, Zack, Trini, and Jason, along with Zack's girlfriend, Angela, and Jason's girlfriend, Emily. Kimberly's father, Trevor, was also there, joined by his very pregnant wife, Kelly. There were others in the room who Tommy recognized, like former classmates Aisha Campbell and Rocky Desantos, and several he didn't know, presumably parents and kids from Ryan's daycare.

"Nice job, buddy," Tommy said when they finished cutting the first piece of cake. He helped Ryan place it on a plate.

"Is that mine?" the child asked.

"Yeah… why? You don't want it?"

"I wanna give it to mommy."

A chorus of "Awws" broke out at this. Kimberly grinned and walked over to her son, pressing a loud kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, sweetie, but it's _your_ birthday, not mine. It's yours to eat." At his pout, she chuckled and took him from the white ranger. "Okay, how about we eat it together then? That sound good to you?"

"Yeah!"

"All right." She picked up the piece of cake and a fork and took her seat again with him in her lap, alternating between feeding herself and Ryan.

Tommy grinned at his son's delighted expression. "It's good, isn't it?"

Ryan nodded enthusiastically before taking another bite.

The white ranger hummed softly to himself as he continued to cut the rest of the cake.

Kim's father had really outdone himself this time. When Trevor Hart learned they were planning a birthday party for his grandson, he'd offered to pay for whatever they wanted. The bounce house and water slide had been a hit with the kids, and the snow cone stand he rented was perfect for the unusually humid weather.

Tommy placed the last piece of cake on a plate. "Grab a slice everyone."

The white ranger grabbed the platter and cake knife, moving them from the table so there would be extra room. He grabbed random cups and utensils along the way as he headed for the kitchen.

"… an excellent party, Kim. Briana is having such a great time."

"Thank my dad. He spoils Ryan rotten."

Tommy looked up at the conversation, barely masking his scowl at the man talking to Kimberly.

Greg Whatshisface.

He knew he was being unreasonable. Nothing that Greg said or did was even remotely forward. He was at the party simply because his daughter had been invited, and his comments were no different than the other parents'.

Didn't stop him from getting on Tommy's last nerve.

"Damn, is that how you used to glare at me?"

The white ranger blinked, unaware that he had an audience. He turned to see Jason leaning against the counter a few feet away with a beer in hand.

"What're you doing in here?"

"Ms. Har – " Jason paused. "Mrs. Dumas doesn't want me drinking around the kids. I've been instructed to drink in the kitchen."

"Hm." He looked up again when he heard Kim's soft laughter. "I wasn't glaring."

"You definitely were."

"Hardly."

"Yeah? Then why have you been cleaning the same plate for five minutes straight?" He shot the white ranger a knowing glance. "It ain't that dirty, dude."

Tommy looked down, scowling when he saw that Jason was right. "Whatever."

The white ranger continued scrubbing the dishes with a deep frown. Kim and Greg continued their conversation for a little longer before Greg and his daughter headed out to the front yard.

"Hey, Jase," the pink ranger said as she entered the kitchen.

He tipped his bottle towards her. "Kim."

"Why are you drinking in the kitchen? Everyone's outside."

"I'd love to join them, but your mom won't let me." He took another sip of his drink. "Doesn't want me to be a bad influence."

"That doesn't even really make sense," Jason's girlfriend, Emily, piped up as she walked into the kitchen. "They're toddlers – how would they even know what beer is?"

" _Exactly_ my point," the red ranger said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "You ready, babe?"

"Aw, you guys are leaving?" Kim asked.

Emily nodded. "Yeah, we have to get on the road. We're hiking Devil's Punchbowl this weekend."

The red ranger squeezed her hip. "Em's never been. I told her we could head up together for the weekend since I had some free time."

Tommy knew by "free time" Jason really meant that there were no training sessions planned for the next few days.

' _Better hope Cruger doesn't change his mind,'_ the white ranger thought to himself as he continued scrubbing the dishes.

"That sounds like it'll be fun," the pink ranger said.

"Let's head out now, that way we can say goodbye to everyone and still be on the road before it's dark."

"Right." Jason placed his empty beer bottle on the counter. He gave a nod in the white ranger's direction. "Tommy."

The older man nodded and flashed a quick smile in Emily's direction. "Nice seeing you again, Emily. I'm glad you were able to make it."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of missing that cutie pie's birthday," she said. "Thank you for inviting me."

Kim waved off the thanks and pulled the taller woman into a hug. "Ryan adores you… I never would've heard the end of it if you weren't here."

Emily released her with a grin. Jason walked up next and pulled Kimberly into a hug.

"Make sure you take pictures of him on the bike," he murmured. "And video."

The red ranger had purchased a tricycle for Ryan's birthday that was designed to look like a little motorcycle. The toddler had been absolutely thrilled to have a bike just like his Uncle Jason.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "You already know I will. Now come on, I'll walk you guys out."

Jason grabbed Emily's hand as they followed Kim to the front of the house where everyone else was gathered.

Tommy watched silently as Kim closed the front door behind them with a soft click. Through the window, he saw Ryan and some of the others kids wave goodbye to Jason and Emily as they took off down the street on his Harley. Kim remained on the porch talking to some of the other parents.

As he watched, it dawned on him that this was the first time he'd been alone since the party started.

Since arriving a few hours ago, he'd been going pretty much nonstop. It started the moment he stepped out of his truck when Ryan tackled him to the ground, ecstatic to spend his birthday with his father. Goofing around with his son ended quickly at the stern glare from Caroline Dumas, who simply pointed to the front door, sending both of them inside wearing twin apologetic looks. She'd allowed Tommy a bit of time to greet everyone and get situated first before setting him to work, using him and Kenny to finish setting things up in the living room while everyone else stayed out front.

" _Took your sweet time getting here," she muttered._

" _Sorry, I got held up with – "_

" _Young men, I swear… you'd leave all the work up to us, wouldn't you?"_

" _But I didn't even – "_

" _Never mind that," she'd said dismissively. "Just hurry up with those balloons."_

When Caroline had finally let him go, he'd been pulled outside by Ryan who wanted to show his father just how high he could jump in the bounce house. An hour later, Tommy had found himself sitting on a folding chair with a blueberry snow cone and Ryan standing in front of him.

" _Can I have some, daddy?" The boy was positively bouncing in anticipation as he balanced himself on his father's legs._

 _Tommy narrowed his eyes. "What happened to your snow cone?"_

" _I ate it." Ryan leaned in close and whispered, "Grandma won't let me have no more."_

" _Any more," the white ranger corrected before offering the toddler a bite. The child grinned and bit into the snack._

" _Well, it_ is _your birthday… but it's gotta be our secret, 'kay?" Tommy asked. Ryan nodded and took another bite of the delicious treat._

He spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between playing with his son and chatting with the other guests. He mainly spoke to Billy, Trini, Rocky, Aisha, Sam, and David, but he also spent some time getting to know the other parents. A few he recognized from the times he would pick Ryan up from daycare, but most were total strangers.

And yet, with everything going on around him, Tommy hadn't been able to fully immerse himself in the party. The food was great, the guests were pleasant, Ryan was having a blast… but always lurking at the back of his mind was Kimberly.

She wasn't mean to him or distant or anything. In fact, she was going out of her way to act like the moment between them last weekend had never happened.

Which was _exactly_ what was bothering him.

He had fully expected her to be cold or even skittish when they saw each other. Instead, she had greeted him with a warm smile and invited him in with no hesitation. For nearly half an hour, he anxiously awaited a confrontation that never came. Kim, on the other hand, spent her time playing hostess and seeing to all the guests – she hadn't appeared bothered by his presence in the slightest. A flood of emotions had washed over him when he realized she was really going to carry on like nothing had happened between them, and he fought against the urge to cause a scene. That was when Caroline called him over to help Kenny blow up the balloons, and despite the tediousness of the task, it was a welcome distraction.

Now that he was alone, she was back at the forefront of his mind. The frustration he managed to suppress during the party was bubbling back up to the surface.

"Everyone's starting to head home," she announced as she entered the house. Kimberly ran a hand through her hair. "I should grab the overnight bag for mom."

Caroline had requested to keep Ryan for the night so that she and Pierre could take him to the beach the next day. At first Kim had protested – she didn't want to be away from her son on his birthday – but when her mom pointed out that Kim could use that time to decompress from the stress of planning the party, the pink ranger eventually agreed.

Ryan was excited, of course. He always enjoyed his sleepovers with his grandparents. Kim's dad had a whole room setup just for Ryan to play in that was loaded up with toys, and her mom had a huge room with canvases and paints he could use however he wanted.

"Okay." Tommy looked up from wiping down the counter when Kim emerged from the hallway, Ryan's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles duffle bag in tow. "Do you mind cleaning up the table next? One of the kids spilled their juice. I wiped it up with a paper towel, but..."

"You don't want it to be sticky. Got it."

Tommy went back to wiping down the counter just as she headed out the front door. He watched through the window as she handed her mom the overnight bag. Ryan ran for her and hugged her around the legs, an adorable smile on his face. She said something to him that made the child frown, and then he was off, running straight into the house.

"Daddy!"

The white ranger braced himself for the boy's arrival, scooping him up just as he launched himself at Tommy.

"Hey, buddy! You excited to go to grandma's today?"

"Yeah." Ryan played with his father's Libra necklace. "Are you coming, too?"

The white ranger bit back his grin. "Sorry, not this time." He poked his son's cheek when the little boy pouted. "But when you get back, you and I can go to the park, and I'll teach you how to ride your new bike. What do you think about that?"

"Yeah!" he cheered.

"All right." Tommy looked out the window and saw Caroline and Pierre packing up their things in the car. Kim stood off to the side talking to the guests who were leaving. "Let's get you ready to go."

He took Ryan into the bathroom to wash up before walking hand-in-hand outside. He placed the toddler in his car seat in the back of Pierre's SUV. Tommy then reached into the duffel bag on the floor and pulled out the stuffed green dragon.

"Here you go."

Ryan hugged the toy to his chest. "Bye, daddy."

Tommy smiled and leaned down to give his son a kiss. "I'll see you later. Be good for Nana and Papa Pierre."

He stepped back from the car to allow Kim to come forward next. The pink ranger covered Ryan's face in tiny kisses, making him giggle.

"Did you enjoy your birthday, sweetie?"

He nodded. "Can we do it again tomorrow?"

The white ranger snorted at his innocent request.

"It'll come around again soon enough." Kim ran her fingers through his hair. "Love you, baby."

She kissed him on the cheek before pulling back and closing the door. Pierre and Caroline waved at them as they headed off with Ryan. The white ranger waited until the car was out of sight before heading for the front door.

The party was instantly less enjoyable without Ryan there.

He headed back inside and continued wiping down the kitchen table. He could see Kimberly through the window saying goodbye to the few lingering guests. At the moment, she was talking to Aisha while Trini, Billy, and Rocky stood off to the side.

The quartet eventually headed off, only to be replaced by Greg Whatshisface and his daughter. Tommy watched as Kim tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled up at the older man, eyes soft and warm. Whatever he was saying to the pink ranger pulled a laugh from her, and Tommy couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Whatever."

He went back to scrubbing down the table, his motions now aggressive. He had no right to be angry – he _knew_ that. Kim wasn't his wife or girlfriend, and she was free to flirt with and date whoever she wanted.

But where the hell did that leave him?

"All right, drive safe!" he heard her yell before coming into the house. The dark blue sedan honked its horn as it drove down the street.

"God, I'm tired," she breathed. Kimberly placed her hands on her hips. "I think that was a success, yeah?"

He nodded, too afraid of what he might say if he actually spoke.

"Ryan and his friends had so much fun," she said happily as she took a seat at the table. "They were all so adorable."

Tommy made a noncommittal noise and continued wiping down the table.

"I need to call dad about picking up the bounce house and the snow cone stand." She bit her nail. "I have to remember to get the number for that company, too. Greg's thinking of having a snow cone stand for his daughter's birthday next month." She grabbed the cordless phone off the wall. "I wonder how expensive they are to – "

At the mention of Greg, something inside of him snapped, and Tommy threw the dishcloth he was using clear across the room. He braced his hands against the back of the nearest chair as all the energy drained from his body.

He couldn't do this.

The white ranger could feel the glare directed his way. "What the hell's your problem?" she asked as she dialed on the phone.

" _My_ problem?" he rasped. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath. "How can _you_ just sit there and do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act like we didn't kiss the other night."

She froze, finger posed to dial the next number. Quietly, she placed the phone back on the receiver. "It's our son's birthday, Tommy… can we not do this right now?"

"It's been a week, Kim. When's a good time?" She grew quiet. "Exactly."

The pink ranger's eyes fluttered briefly and her expression became resigned. "Fine."

He raised an eyebrow when she stood up and walked past him, heading towards the back of the house.

"Where are you going?"

"We can talk in the den," she called out. "Apparently you seem to be in the mood to throw shit, so I'd rather have this conversation somewhere you won't cause any damage."

He followed behind her. "I'm not gonna throw anything… else," he amended.

The two took their seats, Kimberly on the couch and Tommy on the coffee table facing her. Her legs rest between his, their knees brushing against each other's.

The white ranger toyed with the stitching of her jeans. "Why were you ignoring me?"

"I wasn't ignoring you. We've been talking all day."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You know what I mean, Kim… why have you been pretending like our kiss didn't happen?"

Kimberly looked away at his words. "I thought it was best to just move past it," she whispered.

"Best for who?" he asked sharply, chest burning with anger. "You?"

"Yes. No… I don't know," she confessed. "Tommy, I was confused. One moment we were talking and then we were kissing… everything just happened so quickly." The pink ranger wrung her hands. "I just… I panicked, all right? It was a lot to process, and I wasn't even sure I _wanted_ to think about it."

His anger began to fade at the distress in her voice. "Why not?"

"Tommy, between you and Jason, I've had enough relationship drama to last me a lifetime. Forgive me if the thought of being in another one freaked me out."

He couldn't help but smile at that, though it didn't quite erase the sting behind her words.

The pink ranger bit her lip. "…I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry for telling me how you feel, Kim. I'd rather you be honest than to shut me out. That's what I can't handle."

"I didn't mean to shut you out." She took his hands in hers. "Everything we went through before just sorta hit me all at once… and then I was terrified what this might do to our friendship, and I didn't – "

Tommy bristled at that word.

Friendship.

"Is that all I am to you?" he asked suddenly, cutting her off. "Your friend?"

Her deer-in-headlights expression would have made him laugh if the situation weren't so serious.

"Because you're not just a friend to me… not by a longshot. You... I…"

He struggled to find the right words at first, but then decided to follow Dimitria's advice.

' _Open and honest communication. All right, let's go for it.'_

"I'm in love with you, Kim."

She inhaled sharply. "Tommy…"

"I love you, and not just because of our past. You understand me, Kim… better than I understand myself sometimes." He licked his lips. "You helped me get back on my feet despite everything I did to you… and now I see that I don't just admire you… Kimberly, I _need_ you." Tommy watched the tears stream down her face. "I hate needing anyone for anything, but I know I need you. Plain and simple."

The pink ranger sniffled but said nothing.

"Your friendship means the world to me, Kim," he continued. "… but I can't pretend that I don't have feelings for you." He reached up and cupped her cheek. "I also can't pretend that you didn't kiss me back."

Kimberly stayed silent, though he could feel that she was trembling.

"We can keep this thing between us at friendship if that's what you want, but I just need to know… what am I to you, Kim?" he asked softly. "I mean what are we to each other… really?"

"Not pulling any punches, are you?" Kim wiped her eyes and sniffled. "It'd be silly of me to say I don't have feelings for you when we both know that's not true." She sighed. "Sometimes, I think it's impossible _not_ to feel something for you." He smiled at that. "We've been through so much together and now with Ryan and the team… you're always going to be special to m – "

The white ranger leaned forward and captured her lips in a sweet kiss, overwhelmed by her words. She sighed and kissed him back, sucking his tongue into her mouth. He tapered off the kiss slowly, releasing her bottom lip that had been tucked between his teeth. Kimberly rest her forehead against his as he traced his thumbs along her jawline.

"That was nice," she admitted.

"It was," he agreed as he brushed their noses against each other.

She grabbed his hands and moved them from her face. "But…"

Tommy sighed and leaned back. "But…?"

"I'm not ready to be in a relationship, Tommy. I wasn't with Greg, and I'm still not ready for one with you," she reminded him. "Since the war ended, I've enjoyed just being Kimberly and having the time figure out who she is again. I don't want to give that up just yet, especially since we're still figuring out things between us."

Grudgingly, he could admit he understood exactly where she was coming from. Without the threat of war hanging over them, there was an intoxicating freedom in being able to just be your own person.

And he was still getting his bearings nearly two-and-a-half years after the war. It made sense that she still needed time to adjust to the changes in her life, as well. Not to mention, there was still so much that needed to be unpacked between them from the last time they were together.

He picked at the stitching in his shorts. "So you're turning me down."

"I'm choosing _me_ over _you_ ," she corrected. "It doesn't mean I don't love you or want you in my life… I _want_ to be with you… eventually. I just… I think that we need a little more time as 'you' and 'me' before trying to be 'us' again." She nibbled on her bottom lip with a worried expression. "I hope you can accept that."

That was the million-dollar question, wasn't it?

 _Could_ he accept that?

He ran a hand over his face, chuckling dryly when Dimitria's words from earlier suddenly came to him.

'… _it's imperative that you understand what she wants. Perhaps she feels the same as you, perhaps she doesn't… either way, you need to listen to what she has to say and respect her feelings on the matter.'_

The white ranger sighed, resigned to accept that whether or not he could accept this didn't really matter. If this is what Kimberly needed, he had to give it to her.

She peered at him. "What are you thinking?"

"Honestly?" He shifted off of the coffee table to sit beside her on the couch. "That this sucks." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Knowing how we both feel makes it hard for me to accept this… but I can."

The smile on her face let him know this was the right move, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted. They weren't back together, but she hadn't closed the door on them completely.

He just had to be patient.

"I've already waited this long… a little longer wouldn't kill me. Not if it means there's a real chance at being with you."

Kim searched his face for a long while, a myriad of emotions dancing in her brown eyes. He blinked in surprise when she leaned forward and kissed him, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. Tommy immediately returned her kiss and wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer. He licked his lips when she pulled back.

"What was that for?"

"What you said… that was really sweet," she told him.

The pink ranger pressed another kiss against his lips, fanning the burning embers of desire within him. Tommy groaned when she broke it off and leaned his head back against the cushions.

"You keep kissing me like that and we're gonna have _serious_ problems with this whole friendship thing."

The pink ranger laughed hard. He grinned and pulled her into his side, prompting her to wrap her arms around his midsection. The hand at her waist drew circles into her exposed midriff. They sat like this for some time, simply holding each other and enjoying one another's company.

"So, let me make sure I got this straight…" he began slowly after a long stretch of silence. "We're not together…"

"Right."

"But stuff like what we're doing right now is okay?"

She nodded, fingers drawing random patterns along his chest. "Mhm."

"And so is kissing?"

"It's not something I want to make a habit out of, but it's okay if it's warranted."

He furrowed his brow. "Is… anything _else_ on the table? If it's warranted, I mean?"

She stopped running her fingers over his torso and sat up, eyebrow raised. "Seriously?"

He presented his most innocent expression. "I'm just trying to make sure I fully understand what the boundaries are here."

"What do _you_ think?"

The white ranger shot her a hopeful smile. Kimberly rolled her eyes and climbed off of him. "I'm going to my room."

"Is that an invitation?"

The raised middle finger he received made him chuckle. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down onto the couch with him.

"I was kidding."

"No, you weren't."

"Partially. I mean, can you blame me?" The white ranger asked. "… it _has_ been a while for me, so…"

He laughed at her annoyed expression. Tommy laced their fingers together and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Look, you know how much I love being with you like that…"

"I do," she murmured. He chose to ignore the huskiness in her voice.

"But I meant it when I said I could wait… and that includes sex." He combed his fingers through her hair. "I'll wait a lifetime if that's what you need me to do."

Kim leaned forward so that her forehead was pressed against his. "Don't worry… I'm not gonna make it _nearly_ that long," she said through a laugh.

Tommy smiled and laughed along with her, heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks. He wrapped his arms around her while she lay her head against his chest.

"Thank you," she whispered after a stretch of silence.

Tommy understood the subtext there.

Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for understanding where I'm coming from. Thank you for respecting my decision.

All things he'd been shit at doing in the past.

He tilted her head up and kissed her, pouring as much as he could into that single kiss.

I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for treating you like how you felt didn't matter. I promise I'll do better if you give me another chance.

When he pulled back, he saw that her eyes were wet and filled with understanding. The white ranger brushed a thumb against her bottom lip before kissing her again.

"Any time."

* * *

 _And with that, Cost of Revenge is **officially** done._

 _Thank you to every person who has taken the time to read this fic. It was just a crazy little idea in my head that spun into this massive story, and it's wild to see that it's finally reached it's end. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

 _Thank you to everyone who left a review or sent me a message about the fic. There were days where I truly struggled with finishing this fic, and your words of encouragement helped me find the motivation to keep going._

 _Thank you again to my beta, Bellarose, for all your help and listening to my crazy ramblings about this fic. IT'S FINALLY DONE!_

 _And thank you to Kim, my first beta and dear friend who passed away while I was writing this fic. I know you're probably yelling, "About damn time!" now that this fic is complete LOL. I wouldn't have started this saga without your support, and in your memory, I dedicate the Cost series to you.  
_

 _And just a heads up to everyone... I'm taking a break from fic writing, so you won't be seeing anything from me until 2019. That's not to say I'm not writing (I already have some fics in mind that I think you'll love), but I'm a little burned out from Cost. Once I've recuperated, you'll see me posting again._

 _Until then!_


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